Vacancy Announcement – Sr. International Water Rights Advisor

Position:                              Sr. International Water Rights Advisor

EQUALS                                Program

Duty Station:                        Ministry of Energy & Water (MEW), Kabul, Afghanistan

Summary

Sr. International Water Rights Advisor collects, compiles and reviews readily available national and international water laws and policies and prepares a summary of key documents in order to consult with key officials and stakeholders concerned with international water rights related to country. Additionally, identifies priority issues and prepares a summary of urgent concerns.

Specific Job Functions:

•  In close consultation with key Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) staff, advise the Ministry of Energy and Water on key international water rights agreements between Afghanistan and neighboring countries

•  Develops approaches and methodologies appropriate to building the needed technical platform to support scientific and technical dialogue between Afghanistan neighboring countries (i.e., Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan);

•  Facilitate the work of and strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Energy & Water and the  Technical Secretariat of the Supreme Council on Water

Essential Job Functions:

• Collects, compiles and reviews readily available national and international water rights and international water rights agreements, treaties and accords including water rights treaties between current location and neighboring countries and prepares a summary of key documents;

•  Establishes a library of national and international water laws and treaties literature;

•  Assists in the analysis of international water rights issues and policy options;

• In close consultation with key Ministry of Energy & Water staff, assist  with the analysis and cross referencing of information and data in support of developing technical dialogue with neighboring counties;

• Mentors and trains key Ministry of Energy & Water & the Technical Secretariat of the Supreme Council on Water staff on international water rights issues;

• Review and discern readily available international water rights agreements, international and national laws, and policies relevant to international water rights between Afghanistan and neighboring countries and prepare a summary of key documents for the Ministry of Energy & Water;

• Develops programs and plans for developing the needed capacity to identify knowledge gap and needed technical and par-legal information to support scientific and technical dialogue between country and the riparian states;

• Develop Policy Frameworks for Resolution of international water rights issues

• Assists with  drafting key international water rights agreements between country and neighboring countries (as appropriate); and

•  Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Master degree in International Relations, Water Resource Management or related field to international water rights; and/or Juris Decorate (JD) in law and/or Master of Laws (LLM) in international water law.

•  20+ years of experience with trans-boundary water cases.

•  Demonstrated working knowledge of international law paradigms on trans-boundary waters, and experience, participated in and consulted with transboundary negotiations.

•  Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

•  Demonstrated working knowledge of Afghanistan trans-boundary water history and associated legal issues.

•  Demonstrated working knowledge of water issues and sensitivities between Afghanistan and its neighboring countries.

Success Factors:

•  Excellent coaching and mentoring skills

•  Ability to work in difficult environment

• Good managerial and training skills, including experience in staff supervision in complex (e.g., post-conflict) environment.

Travel Requirements:

•  Up to 20%

 

Interested person may contact Prof. Gabriel Eckstein at geckstein@law.txwes.edu.