Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA

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.

Informing children about hidden dangers left over from the war
Laurent Heidrich informs children about hidden dangers left over from the war. Heidrich is a Swiss police adviser in the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. © Laurent Heidrich

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.

OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

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.

OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine: Deployment of Swiss experts (PDF, 2 Pages, 414.2 kB, English)

Other languages

OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine 

MINUSMA in Mali

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.

MINUSMA

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.

UN Young Professionals Programme

UN Volunteers

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.

Working for the SHA

Jobs for militia conscripts and military professionals in military peacebuilding.

Links

Documents

Last update 01.07.2025

Contact

Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding

FDFA Peace and Human Rights Division
Bundesgasse 32
3003 Bern

Phone

+41 58 462 82 14

sts.afm.expertenpool@eda.admin.ch

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