Legal Expert- BSO Governance

Result of Service

Output 1 (by 30 November 2025) Legal brief summarizing the various registration options, including their respective benefits, risks, potential challenges and recommendations to guide AWEN's decision-making process. Output 2 (by 31 January 2026) Facilitation of a consultative meeting on AWEN's legal registration. Output 3 (by 31 January 2026) Detailed roadmap outlining the actions and documentation required to achieve legal recognition as a regional organization. Output 4 (by 31 January 2026) Report on execution of duties, providing a detailed record of the mission, including information on all parties consulted and the outcomes of those consultations, challenges faced and recommendations for AWEN's path forward in achieving legal registration.

Work Location

Home-based

Expected duration

Duties and Responsibilities

The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, whose mandate includes assisting developing and transition economies to take advantage of expanding trade opportunities in an increasingly complex global environment. ITC supports trade impact for good, promoting sustainable and inclusive development goals through trade, targeting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Trade Support Institutions and policymakers. As part of targeted support to women and women-led enterprises, ITC delivers cohesive interventions within its Women and Trade Programme. Following the participation of the United Kingdom (UK) as the newest dialogue partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the UK-funded SheTrades Programme delivers interventions of the UK-ASEAN commitment to women's economic empowerment in the region, targeting policymakers through SheTrades Outlook data, women-led businesses through market-access opportunities to the UK, and AWEN through strategic advisory services to help define their blueprint for supporting women-led businesses in the ASEAN region over the next 10 – 20 years. The ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs' Network (AWEN), established in 2014, is a regional network comprising women's organizations and coalitions, representing women across all economic sectors in ASEAN Member States. Despite over a decade of existence, AWEN has not attained formal legal status. It currently operates informally, guided by Terms of Reference but lacking formal articles of incorporation, a defined organizational structure, a governance framework, a bank account, or a dedicated secretariat. This lack of formalization significantly limits AWEN's capacity to secure funding, preserve institutional memory, and facilitate seamless leadership transitions. In contrast, Business Support Organizations (BSOs) that excel in supporting women entrepreneurs typically have formal registration and well-defined governance systems. Without formal registration, AWEN's ability to represent women entrepreneurs consistently and credibly at the ASEAN level is likely to remain constrained. Therefore, it is crucial that AWEN establishes itself as a formal legal entity by developing comprehensive articles of incorporation and bylaws that will serve as the foundation of its governance framework. This step will enable AWEN to open a bank account, apply for funding from international organizations, and manage resources transparently. To facilitate this process, ITC is seeking the expertise of a Legal Consultant to collaborate with AWEN leadership and members, as well as with ITC and the ASEAN Secretariat to:
• Assess the legal options and implications for formal registration, considering AWEN's operational context and regional reach.
• Provide recommendations to guide AWEN in selecting the most suitable legal framework for registration.
• Facilitate a decision-making process that leads to securing consensus among AWEN's leadership and members on the selected option.
• Outline, in detail, the steps required to complete the actual registration process. This initiative will lay the groundwork for AWEN to achieve its long-term vision and strengthen its capacity to support women entrepreneurs across the ASEAN region. Assignment Duties Under the overall supervision of the Chief, Institutions and Ecosystems Section, and under the direct technical guidance of the Associate Programme Officer- Institutions and Ecosystem, the Legal Expert will execute the following duties: Provide Advisory Services and Recommendations for AWEN's Legal Recognition The expert will support AWEN Leadership and Members in establishing AWEN as a legally recognized entity by delivering the following: a. Presentation of the legal registration options in the ASEAN region
• Identify and outline potential legal frameworks for AWEN 's registration across ASEAN member states, detailing the advantages and disadvantages of each option focusing on key factors such as operational feasibility, financial implications, administrative requirements and compliance with local and regional regulations.
• Analyse the legal and regulatory implications of each option, while taking into consideration AWEN's strategic objectives, regional representation, and operational needs to ensure the recommended options support AWEN's long-term goals.
• Examine the legal structures and registration processes adopted by other comparable regional organizations within ASEAN. Identify best practices and lessons learned from these organizations to determine which aspects of their legal frameworks might be applicable to AWEN's unique context.
• Provide guidance on the establishment of the Secretariat, including recommendations on where it should be hosted, the most suitable jurisdiction, the legal and operational implications of the chosen location, and the governance arrangements required to ensure sustainability. Comparative examples from other regional organizations should be used to illustrate practical options and lessons learned.
• Coordinate with the consultant developing AWEN's governance framework to share preliminary guidance, so as to ensure that key points are integrated into the draft framework. b. Delivery of a comprehensive legal brief
• Provide a comprehensive brief summarizing the various registration options, including their respective benefits, risks, and potential challenges.
• Highlight key considerations and deliver recommendations to guide AWEN's decision-making process. c. Overview of required actions for legal registration
• Develop a comprehensive roadmap detailing the actions, documentation, and requirements necessary to obtain legal recognition as a regional organization. The roadmap should also include estimated costs for establishing the entity - such as capital requirements, registration fees, and other related expenses- as well as a projected timeline for completing the registration and achieving operational status. To deliver on these actions, the expert will be requested to present the legal brief with options, actions, and recommendations during a physical AWEN workshop in Laos. This session will be structured to allow AWEN's leadership and members to engage with the presented registration options, ask questions, discuss implications, and collaboratively evaluate the most suitable path forward for AWEN's formal registration. Audit The Expert is obliged to provide full access to ITC external and internal auditors to documents and information related to this assignment. In addition, the consultant shall comply with any audit undertaken in line with the financial regulations and rules of the United Nations. The consultant will also be expected to provide relevant information to future evaluators of the UK SheTrades programme. Copyright clause The Consultant has to ensure that s/he has obtained the necessary permissions with regard to intellectual property rights required to perform his/her services under this consultancy contract and for the subsequent dissemination by ITC in any form. Documentary proof is to be submitted to ITC. Should any license fee be due for the use of copyrighted materials of third parties, the Consultant shall request the prior written permission from ITC. S/he has further to ensure to obtain accreditation to event(s), if required. ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons - of all genders - equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind.

Qualifications/special skills

• At least 10 years legal practicing experience;
• A good grounding in corporate law;
• In depth knowledge and understanding of the ASEAN economy and business environment;
• Familiarity with the structure, functions, and legal systems of the ASEAN member countries as well as the ASEAN Secretariat. Skills
• Strong research skills, analytical thinking, specifically legal analysis;
• Interviewing skills, strong perception and ability to facilitate convergence within large groups;
• In depth understanding of good corporate governance.

Languages

Advanced skills in writing and speaking English

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.