Consultant – Heritage-sensitive debris removal and rubble management (Culture) (home-based) (Paris, France) contract Temporary

Parent Sector : Culture Sector (CLT)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Culture

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 10-JAN-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

1. Background and Justification

In recent years, the escalation of conflicts, particularly in urban settings, has caused, and continues to cause devastating human suffering. In addition, these often protracted and complex conflicts have a wide-spread and profound impact on cultural heritage and cultural landscapes, causing damage and sometimes complete destruction. Moreover, we witness an increase in urban warfare, leaving many cultural sites – and by extension the debris and rubble that surround them – affected by explosive ordnance.

In many instances, the affected heritage is intimately tied to its respective urban fabric – rehabilitation or reconstruction of these assets, whether historic housing, including privately-owned, museums, religious buildings or other cultural property, cannot be conceived only at the site-level, but as part of the urban landscape and, more generally, as a core part of larger recovery, as has notably been outlined in the Culture in City Reconstruction and Recovery (CURE) framework[1] developed by the World Bank and UNESCO.

Beyond the planning for recovery, this also implies the need to ensure the appropriate consideration for cultural heritage in the operational aspects of emergency interventions and post-conflict recovery, such as debris management.

In Gaza, for example, in July 2024, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reports estimated that 42 million tons of debris have been generated by the ongoing conflict, translating to an average of 115 kg of debris for each 1 sqm, including large-scale contamination with explosive ordnance. At the same time, according to data available to UNESCO, the Gaza Strip counts 86 archaeological sites, 246 historic buildings and monuments, as well as 20 buildings with architectural, cultural and/or symbolic value. 236 of the 246 historic buildings constitute the remaining fabric of the old town of Gaza City, which has been heavily affected by the conflict.

These types of contexts call for the urgent adoption of a tailored approach to dealing with emergency and post-conflict rehabilitation of cultural sites, including its mainstreaming in other aspects of recovery operations, and notably debris management, in order to ensure that debris and rubble of historic or cultural value is adequately sorted, salvaged, evacuated and safeguarded for use in rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Yet, debris management at heritage or in close vicinity of cultural heritage sites in conflict and post-conflict settings requires a specialized approach due to the delicate balance between preserving cultural heritage, ensuring safety and security, and facilitating humanitarian assistance and early recovery activities. Standard debris removal methods can irreversibly damage fragile structural elements of the sites, potentially leading to irreversible loss. Thus, these operations must be conducted with certain tailored standards, using techniques that minimize harm to the site’s integrity while effectively addressing safety concerns and property rights, involving collaboration with heritage conservation experts.

2. Objective

The overall objective of these Guidelines is hence to advocate for and advise on heritage-sensitive debris removal and rubble management in conflict/post-conflict settings.

These guidelines should be addressed to the variety of stakeholders engaging in humanitarian assistance and early recovery activities, and in particular to debris management partners, with a view to protect cultural remains during their activities and thereby safeguarding them to contribute to recovery. They will be made available to relevant stakeholders, including through Debris Management Working Groups at UN Country Team levels, such as UNEP, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), which lead this sector at the UN level, Ministries responsible for culture, the environment, housing and public works or equivalent in a respective Member State, as well as municipalities and other local authorities.

3. Description of duties

Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Culture, the general supervision of the Director of Culture and Emergencies, the direct supervision of the Project Officer of the Emergency Operations and Programmes Unit, and in close coordination with the Editorial Committee of UNESCO, the consultant shall perform the following tasks:

a. Conduct desk research and interviews as considered necessary with relevant stakeholders to map existing methodologies and guidelines with regards to debris and rubble management in conflict and post-conflict settings. This includes exploring approaches to the triage/sorting, salvaging, evacuation and safeguarding of cultural heritage, with a view to identifying specific processes applicable to cultural heritage and to highlight gaps;

b. Develop and present to the Editorial Committee a methodological plan and outline of the guidelines;

c. Develop draft guidelines for heritage-sensitive debris removal and rubble management in conflict/post-conflict settings. The guidelines should:

• ​​​​​​provide indications on how to manage possible coexistence of different parallel operations, such as demining and/or temporary stabilization of the remaining buildings, to proceed with the debris removal;
• develop scenarios for both conflict and post-conflict debris management, treating them as distinct contexts. These scenarios could include guidelines to address various situations, such as:
  • Developing mechanisms to coordinate the inclusion of cultural heritage debris management in early humanitarian response activities, specifically at sites with high social value;
  • Addressing situations involving the presence of human remains and property rights issues;
  • Managing debris that consists of a mix of new and historic structures within densely populated urban areas;
• emphasize the importance of integrating cultural heritage debris management into the overall debris management effort, in light of the extended time and specialized approaches required, in contexts where the continuity of humanitarian assistance and supporting early recovery efforts must be ensured.
• consist of a comprehensive and detailed document, of a maximum of 75 pages;
• provide practical, step-by-step processes tailored to the needs of the stakeholders and decision-makers working in these challenging contexts and drawn from lesson learnt and case studies.

The draft guidelines will presented for peer review by UNESCO’s Editorial Committee, as well as other relevant partners, including such as the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS-ICORP), as well as relevant Debris Management Working Groups and other humanitarian and UN partners. The peer review process will be facilitated by the Editorial Committee;

d. Engage in the peer review process along with the members of the Editorial Committee;

e. Review and finalize the draft guidelines based on feedback received through the peer review process.

4. Deliverables

1. Mapping of existing guidelines and methodologies, gap analysis and methodological approach;
2. Draft guidelines for peer review;
3. Final guidelines.

Work Location – Home based

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in the field of culture, international relations, political science, engineering or a related field. 
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in the humanitarian or culture sector.
• Demonstrated experience in debris and rubble management, urban recovery, or related areas.
• Proven track record in producing policy guidance, training materials or other types of guidance, or in working in the cultural heritage restoration, rehabilitation, reconstruction or humanitarian recovery. This experience should be supported by at least 4 successfully implemented reference projects.
• Ability to work in an international and cross-cultural context, demonstrated by CV or at least 1 reference project.
• Field experience in conflict/post-conflict environments.
• Demonstrated fluency in English or French (written and spoken) through CV.

• Proven experience of working in the intersection of culture and humanitarian affairs will be a strong asset (at least 1 successfully implemented reference project is desirable).
• Proven experience of working in the intersection of culture and emergencies and crises will be a strong asset (at least 1 successfully implemented reference project is desirable).
• Good knowledge of UNESCO’s standard-setting instruments of the Culture Sector and the Organization’s work for culture in emergencies and crises (at least 1 work experience or reference project is desirable).
• Previous experience of working with UN agencies, humanitarian NGOs and/or intergovernmental organizations in the areas relevant to the ToR (at least 1 work experience or reference project is desirable).