Senior Digital Economy and Technology Law Consultant

Senior Digital Economy And Technology Law Consultant

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, with the mission to connect the world. To achieve this, ITU manages the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits at the international level, works to improve communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishes global standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communication systems.

ITU applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. ITU is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. Achieving gender balance is a high priority for ITU.

Senior Digital Economy and Technology Law Consultant Vacancy notice no: 2366 Sector: BDT Department:
Regional Offices Country of contract:
Barbados Duty station:
Bridgetown Position number: [[position

Number]] Grade: [[Position Grade]] Type of contract:
Consultant Duration of contract:
July - September 2026 Four (4) weeks (20 working days) over a two-month period, including a 5-day Final date to receive applications (Midnight Geneva Time): 2 July 2026

The Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) is responsible for the organization and coordination of the work of the Telecommunication Development Sector of the Union. BDT deals mainly with development policies, strategies, programming, projects, as well as technical cooperation activities to enable and foster universal access to affordable, high-quality and secure telecommunications/ICTs and foster equitable and inclusive use of telecommunications/ICTs to empower people and societies for sustainable development.

The regional offices provide assistance to the ITU Member States of the Region, ensuring a close relationship and collaboration. To implement the agreed programs and projects, in accordance with the ITU Strategy Plan and the BDT Action Plan, with the active support of all Departments, providing timely information about their development. To provide proper line management and support, the Regional Directors report to the Director of the BDT.

As an active participant in the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), Barbados operates within a regional context characterized by increasing cross-border data flows, digital services, and shared infrastructure. While national digital legislation remains sovereign, choices made at the domestic level increasingly shape the country's ability to participate seamlessly in regional and international digital ecosystems. Barbados has made meaningful progress in establishing legal frameworks for the digital economy, including legislation addressing electronic transactions, data protection, cybersecurity, and sector-specific areas such as virtual assets.

However, these frameworks have largely evolved in a fragmented and sector-specific manner, resulting in multiple legal instruments developed at different times, under different mandates, and without an overarching legislative architecture. At present, there is no comprehensive omnibus digital legislation framework in Barbados or the wider Caribbean that integrates core elements such as digital identity, data governance, electronic transactions, and emerging digital services into a single, coherent legal structure.

Barbados therefore intends to develop an Omnibus Digital Legislation Framework to consolidate and modernize digital-related laws.

The objective of this consultancy is to constitute to Phase 0 of that process, designed to resolve key legal questions and establish a strategic basis prior to detailed legislative drafting.

The Senior Consultant will be responsible for providing technical legal support to the beneficiary country, Barbados, to map out the substantive legal boundaries and priority pillars of the proposed framework. Working as part of a duo team the consultant will focus on substantive technology law analysis, legal gap identification, and cross-border interoperability design. The consultant will perform the following activities:

• Conduct a "High-Level Gap Analysis" (rather than an exhaustive clause-by-clause audit) of existing primary and secondary legislation relevant to the digital economy in Barbados.
• Identify gaps, overlaps, inconsistencies, and outdated provisions that directly impact the omnibus architecture.
• Identify primary legal barriers to cross-border digital activity, including data flows, electronic transactions, and digital services.
• Identify high-impact opportunities for interoperability, regulatory cooperation, and mutual recognition through legislative design choices.
• Highlight where legislative flexibility or enabling clauses could facilitate downstream regional integration without pre-empting policy decisions.
• Identify critical legal dependencies, enabling provisions, or…