Call for experts: ODIHR Advisory Board on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security

Advisory Board

To support the activities of OSCE/ODIHR in the area of freedom of religion or belief, ODIHR seeks experts to be part of an expert advisory board on a pro bono basis.

ODIHR will acknowledge members of the Advisory Board for their contributions to specific publications.  It is expected that members of the Advisory Board will benefit from the knowledge environment offered by ODIHR and that the board will continue to operate as a knowledge network and extend beyond the duration of its current activities.

Travel expenses associated with participation in the three in-person meetings in Warsaw will be covered by ODIHR, according to the OSCE travel policy.

Candidates found suitable in the recruitment process will be placed on the OSCE/ODIHR experts’ roster for a period of 3 years, followed by potential contracting for similar assignments, remunerated in line with applicable OSCE/ODIHR rates.

How to apply?

Please submit a two-page CV and a one-page cover letter outlining your motivations for applying and what you could bring to the board by Friday, 2 May at 6 pm CEST.

Candidates selected for interview will be asked to submit a reference letter from an employer relevant to the purposes of this position.

Please email your application to forbpanel@odihr.pl with the subject line: [Your Name] - Application for ODIHR AB

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact ODIHR at forbpanel@odihr.pl.

Tasks and responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Senior Adviser on Freedom of Religion or Belief, the successful candidates can be tasked with one or more of the following duties:

1. Reviewing various outputs created by ODIHR (e.g. reports, training and promotional materials, etc.) and providing recommendations (approx. five materials),
2. Participating in three in-person meetings in Warsaw, Poland of the Advisory Board, throughout the reference period to discuss the mentioned outputs (reports, training and promotional materials, etc.) and provide recommendations.
3. Participating in up to four online meetings of the Advisory Board throughout the reference period to discuss the mentioned outputs (reports, training and promotional materials, etc.) and provide recommendations.

Required skills and qualifications

• Proven expertise in the area of FoRB and security and/or human rights and new technologies,
• At least six years of academic and/or civil society working experience in (one of) the two areas above.
• Place of residence: Candidates must have their long term or permanent place of residence in an OSCE participating State.
• Excellent knowledge of English, including excellent communication and drafting skills.
• Professional fluency in the Russian language, both oral and written is considered an asset.
• Proven expertise/work experience on human rights-related matters in Central Asia is considered an asset.
• Proven expertise in running dialogue and/or mediation processes around human rights-related matters is considered an asset.
• Expertise in human rights (including FoRB) education/training is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated gender and diversity awareness and sensitivity, and an excellent ability to integrate a gender and diversity perspective into tasks and activities;
• Ability to work flexibly, alone or within a team and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national, cultural and other backgrounds.

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization. 

Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant. This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.

Background

The OSCE views security as comprehensive, co-operative, equal, indivisible, and grounded in human rights. Freedom of religion or belief is explicitly recognized by OSCE participating States as an integral aspect of the OSCE's security concept in Helsinki Final Act, 1975; OSCE Ministerial Council Decision No. 3/13.

As part of its mandate, ODIHR promotes freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief (FoRB). This includes enhancing understanding amongst security stakeholders of how to include human rights and fundamental freedoms at the core of laws, policies, and operational frameworks pertaining to security and to ensure their implementation (see, for example, ODIHR’s Freedom of Religion or Belief Policy Guidance).

As part of a new set of activities currently scheduled until 2027, ODIHR seeks to respond to specific developments in FoRB and security areas within the OSCE region. These include the securitization of religious or belief communities; undue and excessive restrictions on FoRB, as well as the fast adoption of AI-based/enhanced new technologies in security settings, without appropriate human rights protections. ODIHR also aims to improve the secure use of platforms for dialogue and co-operation to strengthen Forb. ODIHR’s understanding of security stakeholders’ is broad, in line with the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security, and includes not only security sector personnel, but also, and especially in the area of FoRB, policymakers and public authorities, civil society and religious and belief communities (see, for example: Belief, Dialogue and Security – Fostering dialogue and joint action across religious and belief boundaries).