Legal Adviser, War Crimes and Rule of Law

The general minimum requirements for working with the OSCE are:

• Excellent physical condition
• Possession of a valid automobile driving license and ability to drive using manual transmission
• Ability to cope with physical hardship and willingness to work extra hours and in an environment with limited infrastructure

The general minimum requirements for working in this field of expertise are:

• Experience in the practice of law, e.g. judges, prosecutors, lawyers, etc.
• Knowledge of courtroom proceedings and criminal law and procedure
• Knowledge of international legal procedure standards and instruments
• Demonstrable organizational, analytical, communication and interpersonal skills

Furthermore, this level of responsibility requires the following:

Education:

Second-level university degree in law; second-level university degree in human rights or international humanitarian law preferred;

Experience:

Minimum 6 years of relevant professional experience.

Additionally, this particular post has specific requirements:

Mandatory:

• Minimum 6 years of relevant professional experience;
• Basic knowledge of legal issues related to war crime trials and the Bosnia and Herzegovina's justice system;
• Experience in programme planning and management;
• Excellent writing and reporting skills;
• Excellent organisational and communication skills;
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English;
• Broad knowledge of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the conflict and its consequences;
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds and diverse political views while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Ability and readiness to work in a stressful environment, and ability to work under time constraints;
• Excellent organizational skills, with ability to work under pressure, manage multiple tasks and process large amount of information;
• Ability to operate windows applications, including word processing and email.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to play a vital role in strengthening the country’s ability to foster a sustainable and stable security environment, to strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina’s governance, an to encourage its consolidation as a democratic society. The Mission supports political and education reform and works to promote and protect human rights of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Should you be selected for the position, you will be responsible for providing targeted advice to the Department on issues concerning legal reform needs of the criminal justice system, particularly with regards to the ability of the court system to process war crimes cases and other highly sensitive cases effectively, efficiently and according to international human rights standards, under the direct supervision of the Head of Rule of Law of the Human Dimension Department. You will work closely with Rule of Law Legal Advisers in Head Office and National Legal Officers in field offices to assess the needs and how existing justice sector processes can be aided to ensure effective processing of war crimes. In addition, you will also assist the Head of Rule of Law in ensuring a co-ordinated strategic approach to war crimes issues, including through co-operation with other Departments and with external counterparts.

As the Legal Adviser, War Crimes and Rule of Law, should you be selected for the position, you will perform the following duties:

1. Monitoring, analysing and reporting on the work of the judicial institutions in the area of war crimes, in order to identify trends and challenges and propose recommendations for the Department and the relevant institutions;
2. Developing the Department’s portfolio relating to the processing of war crimes, and other highly sensitive cases, and to legal reform needs of the criminal justice system, including working with interlocutors within the judiciary and prosecutors’ offices, and providing support to reform processes undertaken in that regard;
3. Identifying and advocating for necessary improvements to the institutional, legal and policy framework applicable to war crimes proceedings across Bosnia and Herzegovina through research, analysis, drafting of policy documents, submissions and organisation of activities;
4. Analysing information and reports from the field and reports on topics related to the processing of war crimes cases and the efficiency and effectiveness of the proceedings;
5. Establishing and developing contacts within civil society related to outreach and develop the outreach component of the Department’s strategic plan in co-operation with management;
6. Developing strategic partnerships within the Bosnia and Herzegovina legal community to ensure open avenues for advocacy and information-gathering;
7. Performing any other duties as required.  

For more detailed information on the work of OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, please see http://www.osce.org/bih

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages the nomination of qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious, ethnic and social backgrounds. Please note that nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are not eligible to apply.

Candidates should, prior to applying, verify with their respective nominating authority to which extent financial remuneration and/or benefit packages will be offered.

Please apply to your relevant authorities several days prior to the deadline expiration to ensure timely processing of your application. Delayed nominations will not be considered.