The Cabinet decided to extend the posting of civilian expert Didzis Nīmants as a monitor to the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. The mission currently has six monitors from Latvia.
The Cabinet also made a decision on seconding civilian expert Ilvija Bruģe as Planning and Reporting Officer to the European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform in Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine). As Ilvija Bruģe joins the EUAM Ukraine team, there will be four Latvian experts working on the mission.
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (OSCE SMM Ukraine) was deployed on 21 March 2014 with the aim of monitoring the fulfilment of the Minsk agreements between Ukraine and Russia.
Latvia’s civilian experts have been participating in the mission since its early days. On 21 February 2017, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers conceptually supported the sending of up to 15 civilian experts on the OSCE SMM Ukraine. Candidates for the OSCE missions are selected by the organisation’s secretariat in Vienna.
The European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform in Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine) was established on 22 July 2014 to provide advisory support for Ukraine in the field of civil security sector reforms.
The EUAM provides strategic advice to the Ukrainian authorities both at the central and regional level on the development of civilian security strategies and hands-on support for the implementation of specific reform measures. The mission also offers advice on the reorganisation and restructuring of Ukraine’s civilian security authorities and the development of a comprehensive anti-corruption strategy. Civilian experts who qualify for positions on the EUAM are selected by the European External Action Service.