Mirroring the multitude of intersecting challenges that missions tackle, experts in these missions fulfil a wide array of roles, ranging from Head of Mission to auditor, border monitor to communications expert, human rights adviser to legal officer, among many others. 

CSDP missions largely rely on a secondment The process of temporarily assigning national experts to an international civilian crisis management mission model for staffing. This means that instead of directly hiring most personnel, the European External Action Service (EEAS) issues "Calls for Contributions" for specific expert profiles needed in the missions. A so called seconding agency a national authority within an EU Member State responsible for nominating and making available qualified national experts to fill vacancies in missions is the entity that identifies suitable candidates (often civil servants like law enforcement officers, judges, or other specialised personnel, but sometimes also "freelancers" from outside public service) from their national pool.  

The portfolios of these so-called "secondees" range from training host country police officers and helping to strengthen the judiciary and civil administration to advising the mission management on human rights or gender issues, just to name a few.  In addition to seconded staff, there are also contracted positions—these are positions that are financed directly by the EU and can be filled by citizens of any EU Member State. Furthermore, missions employ local staff directly from the host country for essential administrative and support functions, leveraging their invaluable local knowledge. Both women and men work in these missions. 

As the context of each host country is unique, so too is the support that the missions provide. Each civilian CSDP mission has a mandate, which in turn determines the priorities of the mission and what sort of work is carried out.  

Examples include: 

• Re-establishing government functions post-conflict (EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo) 

• Providing advice, training, and support for security sector reform (EU Advisory Mission in Iraq) 

• Facilitating the investigation and prosecution of international war crimes (EU Advisory Mission in Ukraine) 

• Monitoring boundary lines and the enforcement of peace agreements (EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia) 

• Improving border management systems (EU Integrated Border Management Assistance Mission in Libya) 

• Enhancing law enforcement capabilities (EU Co-ordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support) 

While not "peacebuilding missions" in the traditional sense, civilian CSDP missions play a crucial role within the broader peacebuilding efforts of the EU. Their core focus is on building capacity in countries recovering from conflict. 

Compared to larger UN missions, civilian CSDP missions are typically smaller and concentrate on specific areas. This includes reforming security sectors, providing training and mentoring, offering legal advice, and strengthening rule of law and policing. In some cases, depending on their mandate, these missions might also be involved in monitoring peace agreements, like the mission in Georgia. 

Women have a vital role to play in ensuring the success of missions. Their expertise, whether as strategic advisors, police officers, judges, or specialists in areas like human rights and gender-based violence, is essential for building sustainable peace and resilient societies.  

Their involvement is not only a matter of gender equality, which is a political priority of the European Union and a universally recognised human right, but also a strategic imperative for achieving sustainable peace and security. The presence of women, including in leadership roles, ensures that the work of missions reflects a more diverse range of experiences and perspectives. Diversity, including gender balance, contributes to a more comprehensive analysis and innovative solutions for complex challenges on the ground.  

The value of women’s participation in civilian CSDP missions is also recognised by the 2023 Civilian CSDP Compact, which outlines the goal of reaching 40% representation of women within missions, whilst striving towards complete gender parity. 

Some seconding agencies national authorities within EU Member States responsible for nominating and making available qualified national experts to fill vacancies in missions have pools of pre-screened, qualified candidates which are updated on a regular basis. When vacancies arise in a mission, they can be filled by candidates from the pool, but also through open advertisements, the so called ‘calls for contributions’, which are usually shared on the EEAS website and via the individual mission’s website and social media channels. Vacancies are typically divided into 3 categories: 

• Seconded Positions—these are positions that are to be filled by seconded Temporarily deployed from a Member State to a mission experts of EU Member States. These individuals could be from within national administrations and agencies, or in some cases, experts outside of public service e.g. from NGOs, academia, the private sector. Please note that not all Member States are currently able to second experts outside of public service. Seconded positions are financed by the seconding Member State. 

• Contracted Positions—positions that are financed directly by the EU and can be filled by citizens of any EU Member State. 

• National Staff Positions—positions that are open only to nationals of the host country. 

Women are especially encouraged to apply. 

To find out about the secondment opportunities, structures, and processes within your Member State, visit the CoE Map.