Consultant - Legal Work of the Unit - BSAB (EOI) at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We invite suitably qualified candidates to indicate their interest in joining the Department in the capacity below:

Job Title: Consultant - Legal Work of the Unit - BSAB (EOI)

Location: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Consultant type: Individual Contract Agent
Department: The Sanctions Appeals Board (BSAB)
Duration of the assignment: Six (6) months
Tentative Date of commencement: 3rd April 2023

Background

• The African Development Bank is a regional multilateral development finance institution established in 1964 with a mandate to further economic development and social progress of African countries, individually and collectively. It is member of the African Development Bank Group (“the Bank Group”) together with the African Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund.
• Flowing from its mandate, the Bank Group has a fiduciary and legal duty to ensure that funds are used for the purposes for which they were intended. Where firms or individuals divert these funds to other uses through fraud, corruption, coercion, collusion, or obstruction, defined as “Sanctionable Practices”, the Bank Group exercises its fiduciary duty by sanctioning these entities through an administrative process.
• In this line, the Sanctions Appeals Board (“SAB”) is the second tier, and appellate body, of the two-tier Sanctions System set up by the African Development Bank pursuant to the terms of the Cross-debarment Agreement signed between the Multilateral development banks (MDBs) on 9 April 2010.
• Therefore, the SAB receives and determines appeals from the Sanctions Commissioner’s decisions and performs such other functions and responsibilities as set forth in the Sanctions Procedures. It is made of six members including four external members (two substantive and two alternate members) and two internal members (one substantive and one alternate member). In accordance with its Terms of Reference, the SAB decides cases “de novo” in full or in panels (two external members and one internal member), depending on the complexity and nature of the case.

Scope of Work
The consultant will assist the Executive Secretary to the Sanctions Appeals Board (SAB) in all
the legal work of the unit:

• Preparing of all necessary documentations in English and French for SAB session;
• Drafting in English and French of all decisions determined by the SAB during its session;
• Notifying SAB final decisions to stakeholders;
• Drafting in English and French of the SAB Rules and Procedures;
• Follow-up of the Bank’s Sanctions Procedures’ amendment;
• Drafting of the Directive on the Bank’s Sanctions Procedures and Sanctioning Guidelines;
• Undertaking in any other legal work as instructed by the Executive Secretary to the SAB.

Deliverables

• Timely delivery of:
  • Documentations for the holding of the SAB session;
  • Draft Decisions English / French of SAB session;
  • English / French versions of the SAB Rules and Procedures;
  • English/ French versions of the Directive on the Bank’s Sanctions Procedures and Sanctioning Guidelines.
• Timely notification of SAB final decisions to stakeholders.
• Any other legal documents or assignment as requested by the Executive Secretary to the SAB.

Competencies
The consultant must have:

• At least a Master’s Degree or its equivalent in Law, or a Juris Doctor (JD);
• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience with an established law firm or an international financial institution, including in the area of law and dispute resolution mechanism, Anti-Corruption, procurement matters and Auditing;
• At least one year of relevant professional experience with a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) in the area of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) Sanctions System and a knowledge of the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions (AMEDD);
• A knowledge or an experience in the conduct of investigations, standards of proof and evidence, and legal and policy issues relating to the operations of the bank or similar institutions;
• A knowledge of the Bank’s rule and procedures;
• Ability to work under pressure and deliver within tight deadlines;
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and effective communication, team building, inter-personnel, writing and analytical skills;
• Ability to communicate and write effectively in English and French;
• IT Competence in the use of standard software such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Internet.

Duration and Place of Assignment:

• The Consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Executive Secretary to the Sanctions Appeals Board for a period of six (6) months. The Consultant will need to be based at the Bank’s Headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Remuneration for the Assignment

• The successful candidate will receive a monthly fee of ten thousand US dollars (US$ 10,000) in line with the Bank’s guidelines on consultants’ remuneration.
• The Consultant will take up the assignment effective from the date of signature of the contract by both parties.

Application Closing Date
28th February, 2023 at 5:00pm Abidjan time (GMT).