Background
The upcoming 59th Commission on Population and Development (CPD59) is expected to be a challenging UN negotiation due to an emboldened pushback on gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in UN Settings. The theme of this year’s CPD is Population, Technology, Research and Sustainable Development.
The Nexus Initiative is an intergovernmental network of likeminded member states that are committed to protecting and advancing SRHR norm-setting in the UN. Before the CPD58 negotiations, Nexus would like to organize two half-day trainings for CPD59 negotiators. The negotiation training will help likeminded negotiators strengthen their capacity to respond effectively using evidence-based arguments.
Objective of the Consultancy
The objective of this consultancy is to design and implement – in consultation with the Nexus Secretariat – a mock negotiation training aimed at supporting UN negotiators to respond effectively to opposition in gender and SRHR-related negotiations in the context of the theme of the 59th CPD – Population, Technology, Research, and Sustainable Development. The consultant will create a two half-day training program that includes: Part 1) a general overview of CPD and its main topics in 2026; Part 2) mock-negotiation training with negotiation scenarios, practical exercises, and expert feedback to strengthen participants’ ability and agility in negotiations. This training will equip negotiators with the information, skills, and strategies needed to respond quickly and strategically to anti-gender/SRHR arguments during negotiations.
Terms of the Consultancy
The consultancy will be conducted remotely, with travel required to New York City for the training session in March with travel occurring between March 20-24th (TBC). Travel budget is available for for up to 3 days (arrival in New York City 1 or 2 days prior to the training for in-person preparation sessions with the Secretariat). See below for more information on the scope of work.
Activities and Deliverables
The consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:
Training Agenda & Materials: Design and deliver two half-day hybrid (in-person/online) training sessions, grounded in the priorities agreed by Nexus Members, with a specific focus on protecting and advancing SRHR and gender equality within the context of the CPD59 theme. The training materials and facilitation approach should be firmly aligned with these agreed priorities and reflect the political and substantive realities of current negotiations.
Develop detailed agendas for both sessions, clearly outlining learning objectives, thematic content, methodologies, and expected outcomes. The trainings should include:
- An overview of the CPD, including its mandate, negotiation dynamics, and key actors;
- An analysis of the CPD59 theme and its implications for SRHR and gender equality;
- Practical mock negotiation exercises to strengthen participants’ strategic engagement and coalition-building skills;
- Structured guidance on responding to anti-gender and anti-SRHR narratives, including common negotiating strategies used by anti-rights actors;
- Evidence-based arguments in support of SRHR and gender equality, drawing on the substantive materials developed by the Secretariat; and
- Clear counter-arguments and messaging strategies to address and neutralize regressive language or proposals.
Facilitation of Training: Lead and facilitate two half-day training session—Part 1) CPD and content overview; and Part 2) mock negotiation training with exercises and feedback.
Breakout Sessions: Facilitate small group exercises (with support from the Nexus Secretariat) and provide feedback to participants to refine their arguments.
Plenary Debrief: Conduct a debrief session where participants can reflect on the exercises, discuss strategies, and share key insights.
Training Survey: Develop and share post-training survey for participants’ feedback.
Post-Training Feedback to Secretariat: Provide written feedback to the Secretariat on the training outcomes, survey results, effectiveness, and suggestions for future sessions.
Consultant Qualifications and Requirements
Education:
- A bachelor’s degree in international affairs, political science, global health, or a related field is required.
- A master’s degree in international affairs, global health, public administration, or a related field is highly desired.
Professional experience:
- Proven experience in international negotiations at the UN as part of delegations for governments, UN agencies, or CSOs, with CPD experience being highly preferred (3-5 years of negotiations experience in the UN)
- Experience working in and liaising closely with government representatives, diplomatic professionals, CSOs, and UN agencies during UN negotiations.
- Sound understanding and experience working successfully in the context of UN processes/multilateral advocacy in challenging geopolitical contexts.
- Deep expertise working on the topics of sexual and reproductive health and rights including its links to technology, population, data and research; gender equality; global health; international development, and/or human rights.
- Demonstrated ability to understand and shape constructive group dynamics—taking into account cross-cultural nuances.
- Proven and superior facilitation skills, with the ability to engage participants effectively in both large and small group settings.
- Superior written and verbal communication skills to distill complex ideas and concepts into easily understandable communications.
- Fluency in English is required, with proficiency in an additional UN language (Spanish/French) preferred.
- Ability to work on sensitive subjects with a high degree of discretion and diplomatic judgment.
Timing and Administration of the Consultancy
The consultancy will commence the week of March 2, 2026, and end by April 17, 2026
Tentative Timeline (this timeline is subject to change based on the availability and proposed process of the selected consultant; and it may be flexible by one or two weeks based on the ultimate timing of the training)
Anticipated Number of Days
The following is a rough estimate of the anticipated number of days. This is a provisional estimate as the candidate(s) would need to discuss the plans with the Secretariat to determine a final estimation of days. The estimated number of days is up to 20 days, but this would be confirmed after further discussion.
- Onboarding and inception meetings with the Nexus Secretariat: 2 days
- Developing training agenda and materials and communications with the Secretariat: 5 days
- Revising agenda and materials based on the two rounds of Secretariat’s feedback: 4 days
- Travel to and from the training: 3-4 days
- Dry run of the training with for the session with the Secretariat: 1 day
- Session facilitation: 2 days
- Available for one-on-one support: 1.5 days
- Compiling written feedback: .5 day
How to Apply:
Individual candidates or consultant duos are open to apply. Interested candidates should develop a proposal (up to 5 pages) outlining the following items:
- A summary of relevant experience in UN negotiations;
- A summary of relevant experience facilitating high-level trainings with diplomats;
- A summary of the overall approach to the training;
- CV and a list of relevant clients/experiences;
- A budget with fees and any non-travel expenses (travel expenses will be determined upon contracting); and
- Three professional references.
Proposals will be vetted based on relevant experience, proposed approach, the qualifications of the consultants, and budget competitiveness. The short-listed finalists should anticipate a virtual panel interview on Thursday, 27 February 2026.
Proposals should be sent to [email protected] by Monday, 23 February 2026 by 6pm New York Time with the title, “Training Consultant”
