Working for the OSCE

As a non-career organization it is important to ensure that staff joining the OSCE become operational very quickly and remain skilled throughout their tenure at the OSCE. The OSCE therefore offers not only a comprehensive onboarding programme, but a range of learning and development opportunities on topics such as leadership, management, communication, and operational skills.

Pre-Mission Training

OSCE participating States are responsible for preparing their candidates for assignments with the OSCE.

Onboarding Programme

Integrating into a new organization and moving to a field mission can be both physically and psychologically demanding. The 6-month onboarding programme, “All OnBoard”, facilitates the integration of newcomers into their working environment and informs them about available resources. New hires can expect an engaging, fully blended onboarding experience including virtual sessions to meet and network with fellow campaigners and interactive e-learning modules to ramp up their knowledge about the Organization. Members acquire skills and knowledge in key areas and build a common understanding on crucial information and behaviours.

Since new officials arrive with different needs, the programme allows for a degree of customization while offering a number of mandatory sessions. Role-specific learning includes core modules for OSCE officials to manage their programmes & projects effectively and a “Management Induction Programme”. The management programme focuses on themes such as Duty of Care, Professional Working Environment, Ethics and complaints mechanism, maintaining high performance and enabling an inclusive work environment.

Overall, All OnBoard enables new staff and mission members - across the board - to acquire critical skills and knowledge consistently at the right time and in line with their role and responsibilities.

Ethics Applied at the OSCE

When we speak about “ethics” in the OSCE, we are referring to principles of conduct – with underlying values to which OSCE officials ascribe – designed to guide common behaviour.

The OSCE Code of Conduct determines these principles and the boundaries of professionalism within which OSCE officials operate. These are also reflected in Regulation 2.01 of the OSCE Staff Rules and Regulations

The OSCE Code of Conduct sets the basis of the Organization’s Ethical Framework. Each official, by signing his or her letter of appointment, undertakes to abide by the Code of Conduct. A number of Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Instructions supplement and strengthen the application of the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct applies to all OSCE officials, include the Secretary General, Heads of Institution and Heads of Mission.

An Ethics Co-ordinator is in place to support the ethical framework in the Organization and to provide advice and recommendations on ethical dilemmas. OSCE officials are introduced to the relevant policy framework and given guidance on how to approach and resolve ethical issues through an interactive online ethics course.