OSCE starts soon recruiting monitoring officers in Ukraine

Why and how did you become an expert with the pool?

I applied for the pool because, after working for NGOs several years, I wanted to get experience with international organizations too. I was selected in early 2016 and deployed after just a few months – first as a political adviser to the EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, subsequently as a gender adviser/trainer with the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine. I am currently the Senior Gender Adviser and Head of the Gender Unit in the OSCE Special Observation Mission in Ukraine.

What makes this work valuable?

As a civilian expert one can make meaningful contributions to reconstruction, security and the rule of law. For example, I helped the EU in BiH set up a dialogue mechanism. Through that mechanism, women from different walks of life became involved in discussions about the future of the country. At EUAM Ukraine, I delivered workshops on gender equality and human rights to police and judges. And currently, at the SMM, I support the Chief Monitor in promoting gender equality and the implementation of UNSCR 1325, which translates not only into gender-sensitive reporting but also a more inclusive workplace atmosphere within the Mission.

What does the SMM do?

The SMM is an unarmed civilian mission on the ground 24/7 in all regions of Ukraine to impartially and objectively observe and report on the security situation in the country, to monitor and support respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms (including the rights of persons belonging to national minorities), and to facilitate dialogue among all parties to the crisis.

What does a Monitoring Officer do?

The SMM has 10 Monitoring Teams (MTs) spread across the mission area. As a Monitoring Officer one is deployed within a Monitoring Team to monitor and report on any significant developments in the relevant area of ​​responsibility. There are dozens of patrols across Ukraine every day to gather information about the security situation.

Why are more female monitors needed?

Diversity is an issue in focus for the mission, partly because it enriches our working environment and enables us to make better contact with interlocutors in the field. Currently, 30% of the SMM's workforce is female. Especially among the Monitoring Officers, women remain underrepresented (about 20%).