Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Advisor

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.  As part of the Multi Country Office set up, a Project Office is responsible for developing, delivering, and managing the portfolio of engagements and cost-effective services contributing to partners' sustainable results and achievements of UNOPS management results. Project Office also manages the operational risks associated with the Project Office’s portfolio of engagements.

UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements. UN-Habitat’s mission is to promote transformative changes in cities and human settlements through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action to leave no one and no place behind. UN-Habitat works through a medium-term strategy approach. It has recently completed the Strategic Plan 2020-2025, and started working on the Strategic Plan 2026-2029, and produced a pre-final draft in February 2025, which introduces a strategic focus for 2026-2029 on: adequate housing, land, basic services for all, including the urgent transformation of informal settlements and slums.

With the aim of achieving impact on peoples’ lives, and to focus on sustainable urbanization, the new strategic plan for 2026-2029, adding value to the efforts of the United Nations and the broader multilateral system, seeks to address global challenges mirrored by three impact areas: a) equitable and inclusive prosperity for poverty eradication.

b) preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction. 

c) environment and climate action. 

As part of its crucial humanitarian and development work worldwide, UN-Habitat presents concrete examples of its engagement with partners working in the field of transport planning, service delivery and urban safety monitoring. Moreover, in humanitarian contexts UN-Habitat has been coordinating GIS and data-science based urban and neighborhood profiling in order to prioritize short-term humanitarian interventions and longer- term urban recovery efforts.

Through the last five years, UN-Habitat Palestine had implemented and still implementing different projects that targeted urbanization, development, and rehabilitation, with the aim to strengthen urban linkages in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to enhance the resilience of Palestinian Communities through Spatial-Economic Planning Interventions in Area C, empower women, girls, and families in different Palestinian cities, villages and locations, to enjoy a safe, inclusive, and accessible public spaces, in addition to focusing on rehabilitation and revitalization of historical and archaeological sites in the old city of Jerusalem.

Since its establishment, UN-Habitat focused on the overarching objective: to advance sustainable urbanization as a driver of development and peace, and to improve living conditions for all. The organization implements its mandate through implementation of normative and operational work at global, regional and country levels. The Special Human Settlements Programme for the Palestinian People (SHSPPP) (UN-Habitat, Palestine) was established following the adoption of UN-Habitat Governing Council resolution 19/18 by governments in 2003. During the 23rd session of the Governing Council in 2011, a new resolution 23/2 was adopted, providing a clearer and more focused mandate for the SHSPPP, requesting UN-Habitat “to further focus its operations on planning, land and housing issues in view of improving the housing and human settlement conditions of Palestinians”. Further, during the 26th session of the Governing Council in 2017, a resolution was adopted calling UN-Habitat “to continue to focus its work where there is acute humanitarian, and development needs as identified through technical assessments by UN-Habitat”.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.  As part of the Multi Country Office set up, a Project Office is responsible for developing, delivering, and managing the portfolio of engagements and cost-effective services contributing to partners' sustainable results and achievements of UNOPS management results. Project Office also manages the operational risks associated with the Project Office’s portfolio of engagements.

UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements. UN-Habitat’s mission is to promote transformative changes in cities and human settlements through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action to leave no one and no place behind. UN-Habitat works through a medium-term strategy approach. It has recently completed the Strategic Plan 2020-2025, and started working on the Strategic Plan 2026-2029, and produced a pre-final draft in February 2025, which introduces a strategic focus for 2026-2029 on: adequate housing, land, basic services for all, including the urgent transformation of informal settlements and slums.

With the aim of achieving impact on peoples’ lives, and to focus on sustainable urbanization, the new strategic plan for 2026-2029, adding value to the efforts of the United Nations and the broader multilateral system, seeks to address global challenges mirrored by three impact areas: 

a) equitable and inclusive prosperity for poverty eradication.

b) preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction. 

c) environment and climate action. 

As part of its crucial humanitarian and development work worldwide, UN-Habitat presents concrete examples of its engagement with partners working in the field of transport planning, service delivery and urban safety monitoring. Moreover, in humanitarian contexts UN-Habitat has been coordinating GIS and data-science based urban and neighborhood profiling in order to prioritize short-term humanitarian interventions and longer- term urban recovery efforts.

Through the last five years, UN-Habitat Palestine had implemented and still implementing different projects that targeted urbanization, development, and rehabilitation, with the aim to strengthen urban linkages in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to enhance the resilience of Palestinian Communities through Spatial-Economic Planning Interventions in Area C, empower women, girls, and families in different Palestinian cities, villages and locations, to enjoy a safe, inclusive, and accessible public spaces, in addition to focusing on rehabilitation and revitalization of historical and archaeological sites in the old city of Jerusalem.

Since its establishment, UN-Habitat focused on the overarching objective: to advance sustainable urbanization as a driver of development and peace, and to improve living conditions for all. The organization implements its mandate through implementation of normative and operational work at global, regional and country levels. The Special Human Settlements Programme for the Palestinian People (SHSPPP) (UN-Habitat, Palestine) was established following the adoption of UN-Habitat Governing Council resolution 19/18 by governments in 2003. During the 23rd session of the Governing Council in 2011, a new resolution 23/2 was adopted, providing a clearer and more focused mandate for the SHSPPP, requesting UN-Habitat “to further focus its operations on planning, land and housing issues in view of improving the housing and human settlement conditions of Palestinians”. Further, during the 26th session of the Governing Council in 2017, a resolution was adopted calling UN-Habitat “to continue to focus its work where there is acute humanitarian, and development needs as identified through technical assessments by UN-Habitat”.

The HLP Advisor will be hosted by the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) within Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) and will be a member of the Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) team. The Advisor will work closely with members of the UN Country Team, relevant UN clusters and working groups, Palestinian Authority institutions, commissioners within the National committee, and technical counterparts. The Advisor will report to the Head of the RCO in UNSCO.

Strategic guidance and technical backstopping will be provided by UN-Habitat Palestine Country Office, UN-Habitat’s Land, Housing and Informal Settlements Section and the UN-Habitat Emergency Director. 

Impact of Results

The HLP Advisor will strengthen the integration of Housing, Land and Property (HLP) considerations into humanitarian response, early recovery, and reconstruction efforts, ensuring that recovery interventions are rights-based, conflict-sensitive, and aligned with Palestinian priorities. Through strategic coordination, policy advice, risk analysis, and stakeholder engagement, the position contributes to safeguarding land tenure and property rights, reducing the risk of disputes and displacement, and promoting transparent and accountable land governance. The role enhances coherence across the UN system and partners, supports evidence-based decision-making, and helps create the enabling conditions for sustainable recovery, social stability, and long-term resilience in Gaza and the West Bank.

The HLP Advisor will:

• Support the Resident Coordinator in ensuring a coordinated and strategic focus on HLP as a foundation for humanitarian response, early recovery, and reconstruction planning in the Gaza Strip; and at addressing the West Bank’s complex land-related administrative environment.
• Provide technical guidance to the RCO, UNCT members, and relevant coordination bodies on land and HLP‑related issues; monitor HLP evolving context and activities in Gaza and the West Bank; and analyse and advise on emerging risks, opportunities, and political developments related to HLP, mobilizing further specialize expertise were needed.
• Facilitate a coherent UN approach to engagement on HLP rights with the Palestinian Authority and other key stakeholders, in line with the priorities and workstreams of the Strategic HLP Framework for the Gaza Strip, including sustained engagement with the relevant transitional coordination mechanisms.
• Periodically update the Strategic HLP Framework and support its socialization, the refinement of workstreams, the initiation and strengthening of partnerships, and its integration into inter‑agency planning and coordination mechanisms.
• Lead the development of HLP projects under the UN Trust Fund and support the integration of HLP considerations into Trust Fund–financed initiatives, particularly those aimed at forming coalitions around the pillars of the Strategic HLP Framework.
• Engage with humanitarian actors and development partners, and represent the RCO in coordination platforms to promote transparent, inclusive, and conflict‑sensitive approaches to land and HLP for both Gaza and the West Bank.
• Monitor the impact of recovery activities on HLP and identify immediate technical risks that may undermine HLP rights, affect returns, compromise sovereignty, or impede the delivery of land administration, planning, and dispute‑resolution systems.
• Monitor emerging governance arrangements and assess their implications for land sovereignty, transparent land administration, and institutional accountability.
• Develop and regularly update HLP risk assessments capturing risks linked to transitional arrangements for the Gaza land and property registry, development‑induced displacement, disputes over natural resources, permanent conversion of agricultural land and environmental degradation, rising gender inequalities, and other risks identified in the HLP Framework or emerging in Gaza.
• Prepare written outputs, including background papers, analyses, advisory notes, and other substantive documents, as required, with support from external specialists where needed.
• Provide substantive support to consultative and other meetings, including proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, and preparing documents, presentations, and related materials.
• Participate in or lead field missions, including identifying mission priorities and preparing mission reports.
• Perform other duties as required.

Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in one or more of the following fields: law, regional planning, civil engineering, environmental engineering, architecture, land and natural resources management and administration, social sciences, political sciences, economics or other related fields..

A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in housing, land and property rights, land governance, and land administration in conflict affected, post conflict, or displacement settings, preferably in the Middle East

Experience engaging with government counterparts, international organizations, and civil society.

Strong analytical and political judgment, and ability to navigate sensitive issues and manage complex stakeholder environments.

Strong understanding of land information systems, land and property records, and HLP data safeguards.

Experience in UNCT, HCT, RC/RCO structures is an asset.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
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• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
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