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.
Swiss police officers are on mission with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). On patrol in the Mopti region, their job is to monitor the security situation in the villages, share their expertise with the police and assist in training.
MINUSMA has been mandated since 2014 to reorganise the local police forces and offer technical assistance. The mission is intended to protect civilians, monitor human rights compliance and generally contribute to stabilisation of the country.
Assignments for young professionals
The Expert Pool coordinates the selection of candidates and sponsors placements for graduates at the UN. The young people are then employed directly by the UN. who have already embarked on an international career can work for up to three years on the UN Young Professionals Programme.
Young graduates with no international professional experience can work for one year on a volunteer placement on one of the UN's programmes.
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
