Associate Legal Officer – Temporary Position

About the role

The Associate Legal Officer will join the Innovation and Research Coordination Unit in the Office of the Secretary‑General of UNCTAD, based in Geneva. Reporting to the Senior Coordinator, this temporary full‑time role supports legal research, analysis and advice on international trade law and related policy issues.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct legal research on international trade law and related specialisations, selecting and analysing relevant material for internal review.
• Interpret primary and secondary legislation, policy instruments and treaties to assess implications for the global economy.
• Maintain a database of national trade policy changes, tariffs and non‑tariff measures.
• Prepare background papers, studies and reports on trade‑development issues, especially for Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries.
• Assist in drafting legal opinions on public and private international law matters, including UN Charter, GA resolutions, privileges and immunities, and procedural issues.
• Support legal technical‑assistance programmes and service conferences, commissions and task forces with background material and summaries.
• Collect and analyse data, producing visual insights (graphs, charts, tables) for decision‑making and reporting.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required profile

• Strong knowledge of legal principles, international trade rules, free‑trade agreements and economic theories.
• Ability to examine national trade policies in relation to international treaties.
• Familiarity with a range of legal research sources, including electronic databases.
• Excellent analytical and written communication skills.

Required skills

• Legal research
• Data analysis and visualization