Background:
This position is open for secondment only and participating States are kindly reminded that all costs in relation to assignment at OSCE/ODIHR must be borne by their authorities.
Candidates should, prior to applying, verify with their respective nominating authority to which extent financial remuneration and/or benefit packages will be offered. Seconded staff members in the OSCE Secretariat and Institutions are not entitled to a Board and Lodging Allowance payable by the Organization.
The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, combating human trafficking, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis.
The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is the principal institution of the OSCE responsible for the human dimension. ODIHR is active throughout the OSCE area in the fields of election observation, democratic development, human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination, and the rule of law. ODIHR’s assistance projects and other activities are implemented in participating States in accordance with ODIHR’s mandate.
The purpose of the Democratization Department’s Rule of Law Unit is to support OSCE participating States in strengthening the legitimacy of law in compliance with OSCE commitments and international law within the human dimension. Towards that end, the Rule of Law Unit develops and implements projects and activities in support of participating states on fair trial monitoring, criminal and administrative justice reform of criminal justice, and independence of the judiciary in the OSCE region. In addition to project activities, the Rule of Law Unit provides policy advice and assistance to ongoing ODIHR and OSCE work on rule of law issues throughout the OSCE Region.
Tasks and responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Chief, Rule of Law Unit, in order to assist OSCE participating States in achieving compliance with the ODIHR human dimension commitments and to ensure effective implementation of the ODIHR programming, the incumbent performs the following functions:

• Developing, implementing, and evaluating activities within one or more thematic areas of the Rule of Law Unit, including judicial and prosecutorial independence, fair trial and trial monitoring, criminal justice reform, administrative justice, and gender, diversity and justice;
• Drafting project proposals and budgets, identifying and engaging experts, preparing terms of reference, and coordinating implementation and expenditures with internal and external partners;
• Overseeing logistical arrangements, monitoring project delivery by local partners, and evaluating the impact of activities through participant interviews and assessments, while recommending appropriate follow-up;
• Ensuring political support and stakeholder participation by liaising with government agencies, civil society organizations, international institutions, and OSCE field operations;
• Providing legal advice and expertise on rule of law and human dimension issues to ODIHR, OSCE institutions, and field operations, including responding to legal inquiries and reviewing planned or ongoing activities;
• Conducting assessments of good practices and lessons learned, and serving as a focal point for institutional knowledge on rule of law programming;
• Monitoring political and legal developments in the OSCE region, maintaining contact with legal professionals and national stakeholders, and providing briefings and talking points to ODIHR and OSCE leadership;
• Representing ODIHR in professional conferences, meetings, and discussions related to rule of law and democratization;
• Conducting legal research and comparative analysis of national legislation and practices in participating States, including during needs assessment missions;
• Identifying opportunities for ODIHR involvement by analyzing national laws and practices in light of OSCE commitments and providing targeted recommendations.

Necessary Qualifications:

• Second-level university degree in law. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of relevant experience will be accepted in lieu of the second-level university degree;
• A minimum of five years (seven years with a first-level university degree) of professional work experience in law, rule of law development or policy issues relating to law, and at least three years of experience specifically in rule of law development in a country in transition to democracy;
• Established knowledge of international human rights and fair trial standards; and functioning of political institutions and Government offices;
• Good project development and implementation skills;
• Political intuition; organizational and strong analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative and maturity of judgment, the ability to work with minimum supervision and advise high-level officials on the rule of law and legal policy issues;
• Working experience as a practicing lawyer would be an asset;
• Computer literacy with practical experience in Microsoft applications;
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English, knowledge of Russian would be considered an asset;
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;

• Ability to work in a team and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different nationalities, religions and cultural backgrounds.

  If your participating State does not provide the option to apply online for seconded positions, you are kindly requested to submit your offline application form available at https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/offline-application-form to the respective OSCE delegation whose address can be found at https://www.osce.org/contacts/delegations.
  The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.
  Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.
  Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States
  The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages the nomination of qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds.
  The OSCE is a non-career organization committed to the principle of staff rotation; therefore, the maximum period of service in this post is 10 years.
  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 apply to your relevant authorities well in advance of the deadline expiration to ensure timely processing of your application. Delayed nominations will not be considered. The OSCE can only process Secondment applications that have been nominated by participating States. For queries relating to your application, please refer to the respective delegation as listed here: https://www.osce.org/contacts/delegations.
  Please be aware that OSCE appointments are subject to medical clearance.

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

• Issued by: Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
• Requisition ID: ODI000234
• Contract Type: International Secondment
• Grade: S
• Job Type: Seconded
• Number of posts: 1
• Location: ODI - Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Warsaw
• Issue Date: Jun 10, 2025
• Closing Date: Jul 8, 2025
• Employee Status: Fixed Term
• Schedule: Full-time
• Education Level: Master’s Degree (Second-level university degree or equivalent)
• Job Field: Rule of Law
• Target Start Date: As soon as possible

Please refer the Job description for details