Junior Legal Trainee

This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of the International Trade Centre’s project “Timor-Leste: Support to Regional Integration and Trade” funded by the European Union (EU). The Project aims to contribute to Timor-Leste’s economic integration and trade in the world and in the Southeast Asian region. This will be achieved through supporting Timor-Leste’s accessions and post-accessions to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the European Union-Pacific (EU-P) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). In doing so, the Project aims to further develop Timor-Leste’s economy and dynamize the private sector through better integration in the multilateral trading system. While the overall objective of the Project is to contribute to Timor-Leste’s economic integration in the world and in the Southeast Asian region, the specific objective of this Project is to promote economic development and diversification through trade. The Project is implemented under the leadership of the Cabinet of the Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs (VMAA). Other main stakeholders within the government are the Cabinet of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs (MCAE) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI). In addition, key stakeholders also include the National Parliament, the private sector and civil society. The Project comprises of a national project office set up in Dili, which works in close coordination with ITC headquarters, which is based in Geneva. The UN Volunteer will join the National Project Office in Dili.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Project Manager and legal and policy implementation expert and, when applicable, the indications of the senior public government official of the concerning institution , the Junior Legal Trainee will undertake the following tasks:
• Conduct legal research and provide support in reviewing national legislation, regulations, and international agreements relevant to trade, regional integration, investment, digital economy, and economic development, among others.
• Assist in the review, compilation, and analysis of legal and policy documents related to Timor-Leste’s commitments under Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), World Trade Organization (WTO), and other regional and international frameworks.
• Support the preparation of legal research notes, briefing materials, summaries, presentations, and other project-related legal documents.
• Assist in monitoring legal and regulatory developments relevant to project activities and maintain updated records of relevant laws, regulations, and policy documents.
• Support legal gap assessments and comparative analysis of national frameworks against international and regional standards, where required.
• Assist in reviewing draft legal instruments, regulations, guidelines, and other documents prepared under the project, including checking consistency, structure, and references.
• Support stakeholder consultations by preparing background materials, meeting notes, and follow-up documentation related to legal and regulatory activities.
• Assist in organizing legal knowledge resources, including databases, reference materials, and project documentation.
• Provide support in translating or reviewing legal and policy-related materials between English, Portuguese, and Tetum, where required.
• Perform other project-related legal research and support tasks assigned by the supervisor.