Founded in 2001, IDDRI is an independent think tank that aims to facilitate the transition towards sustainable development. IDDRI identifies the conditions and offers the tools for integrating sustainable development into public and private policies. The Institute acts at various levels, from international cooperation to engaging national and sub-national governments, as well as private companies. As a research institute and a dialogue platform, IDDRI creates the conditions for a shared analysis and expertise between stakeholders. Based on leading interdisciplinary research, IDDRI connects its stakeholders and partners in a transparent, collaborative manner and makes its analysis and proposals available to all. IDDRI’s focus is on four major issues: climate, biodiversity and ecosystems, sustainable development governance, and the Ocean.
The program focuses on the implementation of the official agenda for sustainable development – the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development – as well as on emerging modes of governance outside of the framework of the UN international institutions. Global issues call for global action. For this reason, it is necessary to identify the forms of governance (institutional and non-institutional) able to cause the transformation of societies and to guarantee prosperity, equity, and sustainability, “well-being” with particular attention to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the reference framework for achieving sustainable development that also benefits the most vulnerable. The program articulates the analysis of forms of governance at the different scales and the practical implementation of the agenda at the country level.
Within this framework, the programme explores the conditions for the concrete implementation of sustainable development in countries, focusing on two aspects of this question: (a) what is the best way to foster the conditions for change in public policies and private strategies in favour of sustainable development? (b) How to finance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, especially in developing countries?
The role
To this end, IDDRI:
- critically examines the performance of the main institutions, whether or not they are dedicated to sustainable development;
- analyses the emerging alliances and their outcomes, in order to understand and broaden the field of solutions and compromises;
- ensures that these transformations are not detrimental to certain actors, in particular the weakest or most vulnerable.
The sustainable development governance programme seeks to define the theory of change necessary for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of its sustainable development objectives, and thus invests several areas of work:
- Monitoring the establishment of the new international sustainable development institutions and the ownership of the 2030 Agenda by all actors;
- How to “faithfully” finance the achievement of the 2030 Agenda (in relation to the SDG philosophy)?
- Analysis of the determinants of international governance of sustainable development in order to deduce the needs for cooperation in trade.
In this logic, by the 2023 SDGs Summit, the program takes actively part (publications, workshops, conferences…) in the European and international debates around the 2030 Agenda and its implementation in all regions of the world, the reporting system for the HLPF, as well as the renewal of the development program and the Addis Ababa Action Plan and in particular with bilateral or multilateral donors such as the French Development Agency, DG DEVCO, Multilateral Development Banks, or the European Think Tank Group (ODI, DIE, ECDPM, IAI, IDDRI).
Key roles and responsibilities
Under the supervision of the program director and in liaison with the whole team, the researcher will work more specifically on financing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in developing countries; he / she will be thus responsible for:
- Conducting studies on policies, strategies and mechanisms on financing for sustainable development in developing countries, and their effects;
- To organise and carry out research and debate facilitation activities on the financing of sustainable development, and in particular the 2030 Agenda;
- Maintaining and reinforcing IDDRI’s relations with public institutional donors (particularly French and European) and private investors.
More generally, she/he will:
- Join a dynamic team of researchers;
- Contribute to the definition of the research program and strategy for change;
- Develop a research activity, publishing and promoting policy-relevant and scientific publications;
- Develop and maintain relevant networks and partnerships of researchers and with other stakeholders;
- Represent IDDRI in relevant stakeholder meetings, conferences, as well as with the media;
- Participate in fundraising for research activities and project management.
Experience and skills
- Have a Master degree or doctorate in International Relations, Public Affairs, Development Economics, Sociology or Political Science.
- Have 2 to 5 years of experience in one or more of the following sectors and institutions or good knowledge of them:
- International institutions and their negotiating and program-setting processes (MDB, UN, WTO, bilateral donors, bilateral trade negotiations, and particularly related to the Rio Conventions and the 2030 Agenda);
- Public investment banks, private financial sector;
- European policies, especially development policies and external policies, their institutions and processes.
- The candidate has a good knowledge of debates and issues related to the financing for sustainable development and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, particularly in developing countries.
- An experience of direct contribution within strategic debates about the sustainable development agenda, the production of research and synthesis reports, and the outreach to decision-makers is highly desirable. Field experience related to the challenges of implementing sustainable development in a developing country would be an asset.
Other required skills:
- Good ability to take initiatives, to work independently, and good team spirit.
- Good relationship to coordinate networks and work in partnership.
- Excellent working and communication skills in French and English.
- Excellent writing and synthesis skills
Other useful information
A fixed term contract of 24 months (CDD in French) on a project basis, which could lead to a permanent contract depending on the evolution of IDDRI’s funding and strategic programming.
Beginning of the contract: December 21 / January 22