EU Policy and Advocacy Advisor

EU Policy & Advocacy Advisor

Médecins Sans Frontières’
Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines (CAME)

June 2011

Terms of reference

Title: EU Policy & Advocacy Advisor
Based: Brussels
Duration: Long term contract- Full time position
Reporting to: Director of Policy Advocacy
Starting date: September 2011

Background

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is a leading international, independent, medical, humanitarian organisation, dedicated to providing medical humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations
at times of conflict or disaster. In over 60 countries worldwide, MSF provides both life-saving emergency relief and longer-term assistance to make basic healthcare services available to the
most vulnerable or excluded communities.

The MSF Access Campaign was established in 1999 to improve access to existing medical tools (medicines, diagnostics, and vaccines) and to stimulate the development of urgently needed better tools for people in countries where MSF works.

One of the important aspects of the Campaign’s work is to advocate in key policy fora. The European Union (European Council, European Commission and European Parliament) is an important actor in relation to access to medicines in developing countries and medical R&D, through its policies, legislation and its bilateral and regional free trade agreements. There is a crucial need to ensure that the EU adopts appropriate measures that will improve access to medicines in developing countries. There is also a need to advocate that the EU policies on medical innovation support innovation that answers to the needs of resource-constrained settings.

The role of the EU Policy & Advocacy Advisor is to advise and to lead, at the EU level, the implementation of advocacy strategies across all the dossiers in the Campaign’s portfolio (currently HIV and AIDS, TB, malaria, nutrition, neglected tropical diseases and vaccines).

Objectives of the post

 Advocate at the EU level for policies to stimulate access to and innovation for medical tools

 Analyze and advise on the impact of EU policies on access to essential medical tools and recommend appropriate strategies to mitigate negative effects

 Establish and maintain fruitful contacts with the European Institutions (the European Parliament, European Commission, the European Council, the permanent representations of the member states), the United Nations organisations EU representatives and civil society working at the EU level, with the aim of influencing European policy developments that are relevant to access to medical tools.

Main tasks

 Advise on and implement strategies to influence policies that may currently be detrimental for access to medicines and promote positive measures to improve access and innovation for medical tools at the EU level

 Prepare background documents and briefing notes (for internal and external use) on the impact of EU policies on access to essential medicines; prepare regular updates for the CAME team and MSF network on EU access issues

 Provide members of the EU institutions with the CAME’s messages, and ensure an ongoing relationship between the EU institutions and the CAME

 Maintain an EU external network of like-minded groups; liaise with other EU based NGOs, academics and similar organisations involved in advocacy on access to medicines at the European level

 Identify and maintain contacts with the Brussels-based press corps on Access Campaign issues in cooperation with the CAME Press officer

 Provide support on request to MSF sections on EU advocacy issues and coordinate where required with the MSF International Office EU Liaison Officer.

 Provide support to the CAME team and coordinate external and internal CAME communication for specific advocacy or campaigning events involving the EU

 Organise and coordinate external and internal EU meetings to increase knowledge and awareness about access to essential medicines at the EU level

 Present MSF Access Campaign positions on related issues for both external EU/Brussels conferences and internal meetings at MSF’s Operational Centre Brussels

Profile

 Masters degree in either Politics/Law/Communication or Public relations with a focus on the EU
 At least 5 years of experience with advocacy at the EU level
 Strong interest in humanitarian issues and in the work of MSF
 Strong organizational and analytical skills and an eye for detail
 Ability to work within a multicultural network and in a decentralised team
 Flexibility and ability to perform well under pressure and independently
 Fluency in both written and spoken English- Strong communication skills (oral and written)
 French and Spanish languages a clear advantage.

For additional information please contact Mai DO
+ 33 1 40212825.
Please send your application letter in English with a CV to mai.do@paris.msf.org before 25th July 2011.