International Consultant – Expert in Virtual Assets (Roster Call)

Background:

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this is a roster call for consultancy assignments of a temporary nature, with an expected duration of up to 180 working days within one calendar year, exact duration depending on specific project/activity.

The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, human aspects. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence and security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counterterrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis.

The OSCE Secretariat in Vienna assists the Chairpersonship in its activities and provides operational and administrative support to the field operations, and, as appropriate, to other institutions.

The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) deals with economic and environmental issues, operating under the premise that promoting economic prosperity and co-operation on environmental concerns can contribute to peace, security and stability. The OCEEA’s role is twofold: a) to monitor economic and environmental developments among participating States, and alert them to any threat of conflict, and b) to facilitate the formulation of economic and environmental policies and initiatives among participating States, to promote peace and security.

Objective of Assignment:

Responding to the need of selected participating States to address the issues of already existing risks posed by the use of virtual assets for criminal purposes and circumvention of international sanctions regimes is the essential goal of the OCEEA’s extrabudgetary project “Innovative policy solutions to mitigate money laundering risks of virtual assets”. The ultimate objective is to build the capacities of national authorities to counter these vulnerabilities. Throughout the implementation of the project, the OCEEA, jointly with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Programme against Money Laundering (UNODC GPML), will assist OSCE participating States, in bringing their virtual assets (VA) and virtual assets service provider (VASP) regulatory framework in compliance with the FATF Recommendations while providing relevant law enforcement agencies in these three countries with capacity-building and technical support. While UNODC will provide its in-house expertise and practical trainings on cryptocurrencies ML/TF risks, investigation, seizure and confiscation, regulation, and customer due diligence, the OCEEA will support relevant authorities — Central Banks and compliance departments of key financial institutions, Financial Intelligence Units, General Prosecutor’s Offices, Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs, by assisting in drafting regulations and instructions for personnel, organizing awareness-raising activities and facilitating interagency and international co-operation in investigation of crimes conducted with the use of cryptocurrencies.

Determined to launch the programmatic activities and achieve these objectives, the OCEEA is in need of establishing a professional team of experts in cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and virtual assets management to provide thematic expertise in building capacities of relevant government agencies in OSCE participating States to investigate virtual assets, seize and confiscate criminal assets and enforce compliance.  The team will work remotely, as well as travel to OSCE participating States if requested. It is expected that the experts will be provided with DSAs and an economy-class air tickets to each destination.

Duration of Assignment:

Maximum 180 days

Tasks and Responsibilities:

An assembled team of experts, led and co-ordinated by a team leader under supervision of OSCE and UNODC, will conduct a number of capacity-building courses and awareness-raising workshops.

In addition, the group of experts will create the Guidelines/Manuals on VAs for the beneficiary agencies that will serve as a comprehensive set of instructions on investigation, seizure and confiscation of criminal virtual assets.

The set of instructions will include:

1. Supervision of VASPs (offsite and onsite);
2. Enforcement of compliance;
3. Customer Due diligence (‘financial monitoring”) of VAs;
4. Tracing (investigation) of VAs;
5. Prosecution of crimes committed with virtual and crypto-assets;
6. VA taxation;
7. Seizure and confiscation of criminal VAs;
8. Management of seized and confiscated virtual assets/crypto-assets;
9. International cooperation.

The project will also produce the manuals for main beneficiaries on operations with the VAs (at least for supervision and for investigation personnel) to strengthen the institutional memory in relevant government agencies and further improve sustainability of project results.

Necessary Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in economics, IT, AI, law, political science or similar;
• Up to 10 years of experience in the area of combating money laundering, enhancing good governance, combating corruption, combating illicit financial flows;
• Demonstrated expertise in Blockchain technology, virtual assets and cryptocurrency operations;
• Demonstrated practical experience in performing policy implementation and evaluation in the FIU or similar national institutions;
• Professional fluency in English; knowledge of another OSCE language will be an asset;
• Excellent writing skills;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relations with people from different cultural, political, and national backgrounds;
• Previous experience with the OSCE or UN will be an asset.

Remuneration Package:

Remuneration will be based on the selected consultant’s/expert’s qualifications, experience, the tasks and deliverables for this position and in accordance with the OSCE established rates.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE’s online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization. 

Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant. This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.