Types of deployment
Monitoring the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, helping the police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate crimes, developing the expertise of ministries and international organisations – these are just three examples of how Swiss experts are sharing their knowledge in civilian peacebuilding and the promotion of human rights.
The deployments with the Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding (SEP) reflect Switzerland's geographic and thematic priorities in peace and human rights policy. To promote young talents, Switzerland supports placements for young people in international organisations.
Swiss experts are seconded to missions lasting from a few days to several years for example as election observers, police advisers or specialists in constitutional and judicial reform, federalism, mediation and the rule of law or human rights and international humanitarian law.
Switzerland sends up to 16 people with expertise in specific areas to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM). Monitoring Officers in the SMM help to ensure compliance with the ceasefire. They enable civilians to be evacuated and ensure that humanitarian aid gets to where it needs to go.
At the end of March 2014,the 57 participating states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) approved the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.. Its primary mandate is to observe the situation in Ukraine and provide impartial reporting, and to facilitate dialogue between all of the parties to the conflict.
Switzerland has assigned a contingent of police officers to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). In July 2013, MINUSMA was tasked with helping to stabilise Mali, which includes assisting, reorganising and training local police forces, protecting the civilian population and ensuring respect for human rights.
Deployments for young professionals
The Expert Pool coordinates the selection process and funding for deployments for graduates directly employed by the UN. Young professionals who have already embarked on an international career can work on the UN Junior Professional Officer Programme for up to three years.
Recent graduates with no international professional experience can undertake an unpaid internship at a UN agency.
Other organisations for international deployments
The Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) recruits people with a technical and humanitarian profile for humanitarian missions. SWISSINT, the Swiss Armed Forces Centre of Competence, arranges military peacebuilding missions abroad.
Jobs for militia conscripts and military professionals in military peacebuilding.
Links
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, SMM
UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali, MINUSMA
Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, SHA
Switzerland's international police missions
Peacebuilding jobs for people with an armed forces background
Careers in international organisations
Humanitarian work with the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC
Documents
Leaflet: Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding (PDF, 861.4 kB, English)
Voluntary Guidelines on the Duty of Care to Seconded Civilian Personnel (en) (PDF, 2.8 MB, English)
Human rights standards for private security companies (PDF, 311.3 kB, multilingual: English, German)
Aaron Egolf reports from Myanmar (PDF, 248.7 kB, multilingual: French, German)
Women, peace and security in NATO (PDF, 136.2 kB, multilingual: German, French)
