Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Programme Support Associate

Pacific Island countries are large ocean States whose economies, cultures, food systems and community well-being are closely connected to the ocean. They also face growing pressures from climate change, sea-level rise, coastal hazards, ocean acidification, ecosystem degradation and constraints in scientific and institutional capacity. Through its Regional Office for the Pacific States and its Suva presence, UNESCO supports Member States and partners to strengthen ocean knowledge, disaster preparedness and evidence-informed decision-making.

The Associate will join the UNESCO team in Suva and support IOC-related work across the Pacific. The assignment will focus on practical programme support, research, information management, coordination, outreach and knowledge products linked to ocean science, tsunami preparedness and the Ocean Decade. The Associate will work with UNESCO colleagues and, as appropriate, government counterparts, National Commissions, scientific institutions, regional organizations, United Nations entities, universities and community partners. The role is intentionally developmental and will provide structured supervision, mentoring and regular feedback.

Under the direct supervision of the UNESCO Programme Specialist responsible for IOC-related work in the Pacific, and in close coordination with the UNESCO Regional Office for the Pacific States and relevant IOC colleagues, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

* Support background research and concise analysis on Pacific Ocean priorities, including ocean observations and data, coastal resilience, ocean-climate linkages, marine hazards, tsunami preparedness, ocean literacy and Ocean Decade initiatives.
* Assist in mapping relevant national and regional stakeholders, initiatives, events, technical resources and potential partnerships related to IOC’s mandate in the Pacific.
* Contribute to the organization of meetings, preparation of briefing notes, meeting summaries, presentations, concept notes, talking points, correspondence and other programme materials.
* Support the organization and documentation of consultations, workshops, training activities and partner meetings, including agendas, participant coordination, logistical follow-up, minutes and action trackers.
* Assist with programme monitoring by maintaining activity records, simple workplans, contact lists, calendars, document repositories and follow-up matrices.
* Contribute to knowledge management by organizing and updating reference materials, country information and examples of Pacific good practice in accessible formats.
* Support communication and outreach products, including short web stories, social-media inputs and human-centred summaries of results, in coordination with responsible UNESCO colleagues and in line with applicable communication and consent requirements.
* Participate in team meetings and learning activities, share relevant knowledge and contribute to collaboration across UNESCO programme sectors where ocean issues intersect with climate action, Indigenous and local knowledge, education, culture and communication.
* Carry out other closely related support tasks consistent with the learning nature and scope of the assignment, as agreed with the supervisor.

During the first month, the Associate and supervisor will finalize an agreed workplan with key outputs, learning objectives and regular check-ins. Progress and learning will be reviewed throughout the assignment, with feedback and mentoring provided by the supervisor.