GP MENA Board Search 2022

Provided by: GP MENA ELECTION COMMITTEE

Date: February 23, 2022

For: Potential Supervisory Board candidates

Stichting Greenpeace MENA is seeking three candidates to serve as a supervisory board member voluntarily starting on April 15, 2022.

Please read the document below to learn about the criteria the Supervisory Board seeks in its  candidates. Please note that the  Supervisory Board seeks candidates who will provide gender, age, race, ethnic and  geographical diversity. The application process and deadline are mentioned at the end of this document.

GP MENA BACKGROUND

Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action. It needs YOU.

Since the early nineties, Greenpeace has been campaigning in the Middle East and North Africa region bringing about change for many of the environmental problems affecting people’s life and way of living.

In 2018, Greenpeace MENA (Middle East and North Africa) was established as the latest regional organisation of the Greenpeace network that now consists of 26 independent national/regional organizations in over 55 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, as well as a coordinating body, Greenpeace International.

Greenpeace MENA will prioritize environmental problems from this important region, offering solutions for its people and working hand in hand with the local communities in order to push for a greener and more peaceful world.    We aspire to help build, and be part of a vibrant environmental justice movement which puts the climate emergency and a just energy transition high on the social and political agendas especially during this coming crucial period, as the MENA region hosts COP27 and COP28.  We rely on traditional and digital campaigning to reach out and engage with more than 400 million Arabs at home and around the world – bridging the gaps between borders.

Greenpeace MENA is a fast growing startup office with 25 team members. As our family grows, we become more representative of the rich culture and diversity of the region.                                       

OUR GOAL

Ensure the ability of the earth to nurture life in all its diversity. That means we seek to:

⦿ Promote the preservation and protection of the environment.

⦿ Promote peace.

Greenpeace MENA will adopt a global and regional approach to the achievement of its objectives, without limiting such approach to national or regional problems, with a focus on the Middle-East and North African region.

Current GP MENA Supervisory Board profile:

The GP MENA Supervisory Board consists of 4 members, all males, located respectively in Morocco, Tunisia, UAE and Germany. In terms of nationality, there is one Moroccan, Tunisian, one Egyptian and one Lebanese.

Basic criteria for new supervisory board members

  • Collectively the Supervisory Board should provide skills, input and experience representing the world at large, and in particular within the Middle East and North African region. Moreover members of the Supervisory Board should include people with a good understanding of the MENA region and the complexity it is operating in. This requires people with different backgrounds and expertise; for example a combination of Supervisory Board Members that brings together people with reputations in the fields of the environment, media, fundraising, finance, law, etc.
  • Excluded are employees of any Greenpeace organization, and any former employees of any Greenpeace organization who have left such employment within one year. 
  • Independence from Greenpeace’s internal affairs, having no vested interest which might be in conflict with Greenpeace’s interests and objectives. 
  • With no direct employment and/or contract with any governments (i.e. cannot work for governments, ministries, embassies etc. – this does not include universities, schools or cultural institutions).
  • With no material financial interest in any industry or business or other entity that is considered a target of Greenpeace campaigns. 

Profile of new Supervisory Board members

In order to create a highly functioning Supervisory Board, GP MENA strives to achieve the right mix of competencies.  Reviewing the current Supervisory Board composition, as well as the upcoming organizational and  environmental challenges, has led us to identify the following areas of experience/expertise and  demographic characteristics as critical. The Board election committee will weigh both specific and basic criteria when selecting candidates.

  • From the MENA region and preferably based in MENA, preferably from one of the priority countries: UAE/ Egypt/ Morocco/ Lebanon
  • Strategic mindset
  • Governance experience (served as previous board member or Executive Director)
  • Ready for voluntary work
  • Available for a minimum of 15-20 hours quarterly
  • Sharing the values of GP MENA
  • Deep understanding of the cultural, political, economic, environmental and social context of the MENA region
  • International experience
  • Demonstrate expertise either in fundraising, legal or environmental campaigning and advocacy in the GCC
  • Good networking in the region that can possibly support and scale up fundraising
  • Create a gender balance in the Supervisory Board

Key Responsibilities of the GP MENA Supervisory Board

GP MENA Supervisory Board is the guarantor of the integrity of the organization and ensures adherence to internationally accepted good governance and financial management standards. The supervisory board is mainly responsible for:

  • Ensure that GP MENA’s mission is clear, appropriate and maintains relevance as times change
  • Providing guidance and setting the strategic direction of GP MENA
  • Recruit, line manage and evaluate the performance of the Executive Director
  • Act as advisor and sounding board for the Executive Director
  • Approve 3 year strategic plan and organizational development plans and budgets
  • Appoint external auditors and approve financial statements
  • Approve policies
  • Approve opening of new branches/offices within the licensed territories

Supervisory board members serve voluntarily and are not remunerated for their work. They are selected based on their expertise, as well as a demonstrated commitment to Greenpeace’s mission and values within the region.      

TENURE SUPERVISORY BOARD MEMBERS:

The Supervisory Board Member selected in this process will serve for three years. When they will stand for election to a three-year term with an option for re-election.

REQUIRED SUPERVISORY BOARD MEMBER TIME:

It is essential that all applicants to the GP MENA Supervisory  Board deeply consider the required time contribution to be an effective GP MENA Supervisory Board member.

GP MENA Supervisory  Board applicants need to be able to have sufficient time to contribute to the Board work and participate on Supervisory Board Committees (as a guide, 15 – 20 hours per quarter).

 The Supervisory Board meets 4 times per year,  with at least 1 time per year in Amsterdam, in person (provided this is possible of course)and rest virtually via zoom. Meetings are also held when one of the Directors calls to convene.

Supervisory Board members search process:

Potential candidates should send their CV and motivation letter, which summarizes how their profile aligns with the key requirements, skills and abilities of this role to: [email protected] by March 21, 2022 

The GP MENA Election Committee will review the applications, select candidates for interviews and conduct the interviews.

The GP MENA election committee will treat all information pertaining to this recruitment process with the utmost care and  confidentiality.