12 new conservation graduate positions

To build capacity within CEPA, the country’s premier conservation and environment regulating authority, UNDP’s Global Environment Facility will provide K440,000 to engage new graduate students to be placed in three divisions: Donor Coordination and Engagement, Conservation and Policy and Geographic information systems.

Roy Trivedy, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, said: “We’re proud to be partnering with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority to help develop staffing capacity within the Government to help effectively manage Papua New Guinea’s globally and nationally significant biodiversity.”

Trivedy said there is a vast amount of work to be done in the environment and protection portfolio.

“We are working with CEPA to prepare a Protected Areas Bill to establish and manage a national system of Protected Areas in PNG to modernise conservation and environmental protection, and we’re identifying land to expand these areas by 1 million hectares.

“To achieve these goals, it’s essential that the country trains more passionate, dedicated and skilled national staff to drive the changes – so these graduates will play a very important role,” Mr Trivedy said.

Gunther Joku, Conservation and Environment Protection Authority Managing Director, said: “With the current moratorium placed on public service recruitment, CEPA and UNDP have devised the strategy to harmonise scarce resources to build human resources capacity within CEPA to effectively deliver on its mandated functions of environmental management and promote biodiversity conservation efforts in the country.

“The graduates will be placed with CEPA for a year, if they perform, there will be an opportunity for extending their engagement in our authority,” Mr Joku said.

The graduates will be recruited and placed in 2017. Those interested in applying can contact CEPA.