OSCE, Russian Diplomatic Academy to train personnel for Mission work, election monitoring

MOSCOW, 14 June 2007 - The OSCE and the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry agreed today to work closer in preparing qualified candidates for future assignments in the Organization's Secretariat, Institutions and field operations.

"I was pleased to sign a plan of co-operation today in the area of training of personnel with the leadership of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry," said Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, the OSCE Secretary General.

He encouraged the Russian Federation to actively participate in election observation by deploying more Russian experts to these missions.

"One of the goals of the co-operation between the OSCE Secretariat and the Russian Diplomatic Academy is to encourage and help Russians to participate in such missions," he added.

The agreement aims to enhance the relationship between the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Russian Federation, and the OSCE. It also aims to contribute to the effectiveness of the OSCE's activities and operations by developing a pool of qualified candidates. The training for election observation missions will be provided by representatives of the Secretariat and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Under the agreement, the OSCE will also provide lecturers for training seminars aimed at enhancing the understanding of the goals and activities of the Organization, as well as providing details on its recruitment procedures for the Diplomatic Academy and the Moscow Institute for International Relations.

The OSCE competitively recruits staff from all 56 participating States, taking gender balance into consideration.