At the invitation of the Government of Gabon, and in connection with the upcoming GEO-XI Plenary in Gabon, UNOOSA (through the UN-SPIDER Programme) is tentatively planning to conduct a Technical Advisory Mission (TAM) to Gabon from 4 to 7 November 2014.
UN-SPIDER is therefore seeking four to six qualified international experts from the space- and Disaster Management communities who would be interested to volunteer for participating in this Mission, if confirmed.
Priority will be given to experts with good relevant knowledge of the region and in particular of Gabon, and to those who will be participating at the GEO Plenary as well, in order to minimize travel costs. If still required, UN-SPIDER could consider sponsoring travel and accommodation expenses for the duration of the TAM only.
Interested candidates should ideally have good expertise in various areas of disaster preparedness and response, as well as in the use of space technology, spatial data infrastructures or policy analysis in that context. Specific experience in Gabon and affiliation with a regional or international entity working in Gabon or in the region are further advantages. Qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.
If you are interested in joining this Technical Advisory Mission, please provide us with:
- a short background, résumé or CV
- an indication of any current, planned or possible type of collaboration with Gabon
- an indication of your possible funding sources, or an indication of costs needed to be covered by UNOOSA (such as ticket and/or daily expenses)
Please send your expressions of interest to Mr. Lorant CZARAN (Lorant.Czaran [at] unoosa.org (Lorant[dot]Czaran[at]unoosa[dot]org)).
Deadline for receipt of applications is 31 August 2014. Messages will be acknowledged upon receipt; however, only selected experts will be contacted.
Technical Advisory Missions are part of the UN-SPIDER's mandate, and a core activity. During the mission, TAM experts will meet with key institutions involved in disaster management and with Government authorities using space-based information for disaster and risk management as well as for emergency response. Meetings are organized as relevant with representatives from the Government, local UN agencies, other regional and international organizations, academia, NGOs and private entrepreneurs in Gabon. On the basis of this mission, recommendations are made and guidelines are developed for improving the local use of space technologies in all stages of the disaster management cycle. Selected experts will also support the compilation of the official TAM Report following the mission.
