River Hustad

Please tell us about your professional background. Where have you worked before coming to the OSCE, and what were your responsibilities?

I've had three overlapping careers, I began my professional life in government as a legislative aide to a USA state senator and then as a legal researcher for USA state governor, as well as working on several political election campaigns. I then moved from government-driven policy to litigation-based issues in individual legal cases as a civil rights lawyer in the USA both in private practice and as a public defender, defending individuals from criminal prosecution and pursuing claims of civil rights violations against the local, state, and federal governments. My third career has been as an academic, primarily at the Norwegian Center for Human Rights. I’ve juggled these diverse paths, enjoying the fast pace of a political and legal practitioner as well as the in-depth analysis of a researcher and teacher.

What is your academic background, and how does it align with the career you have developed?

I started university with the goals of an idealist, but not entirely certain how to make an impact. At the undergraduate level, I studied History with a political science concentration, as well as business administration. Upon graduation in 1990, Europe was changing with the thaw of the cold war so I went to graduate school in the UK for a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy. Recognizing the importance of legal analysis during various internships and volunteer work, I then went back to the USA for a law degree. When family circumstances brought me to Norway, I was interested in a more international perspective so I first did a master’s degree in the theory and practice of human rights and then, enticed by the ability in academia to thoroughly analyze issues, I completed a doctorate in international human rights law. This academic background enables a multi-disciplinary approach to issues, intertwining the historical, political, and legal perspectives to better understand a situation and the ability to propose a more diverse set of recommendations to address it.

Where are you based now, and what do you like most about your current job at the OSCE?

I am presently based in The Hague as a Senior Legal Advisor with the High Commissioner on National Minorities. One of things that I like most about this position is its diversity in several dimensions. There is a diversity of people in which interacting with people from different backgrounds is not only a great experience, but also facilitates open-mindedness outside of entrenched cultural boxes. The same can be said about working with different legal systems. In addition, the diversity of tasks makes every day different from those that came before.

What advice would you give to applicants considering a career in international civil service?

What could be better than co-operating with thousands of other individuals toward humanity's goal of security in all its dimensions? If you're interested in international civil service and more specifically in the aspiration to make a difference, you should study hard and get relevant experience, but most important is for you  to have the passion and moral courage necessary  to seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change, one step at a time.