Here’s a good idea – the ABA is assisting and promoting efforts to recruit lawyers and others to monitor protests at the NATO and G8 meetings. Set out below is the text of the email I received this morning from an ABA international law group.
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The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE (OSCE/ODIHR) is recruiting monitors for planned assembly observation activities in the USA. Monitored assemblies will include protests and demonstrations organized in Chicago and, potentially, in / around Camp David, on the occasion of the forthcoming NATO and G8 summits. The G8 summit will take place in Camp David on 18 and 19 May 2012. The NATO summit will take place in Chicago on 20 and 21 May 2012.
The monitors will be part of small teams, which will generally include ODIHR staff, who will report their observations on the conduct of and interaction between assembly participants, law enforcement agents, as well as other relevant state and non-state actors. The information gathered will be used to compile a comprehensive monitoring report and to identify gaps, as well as examples of good practice, in meeting international human rights standards on the freedom of peaceful assembly.
Monitors are required to possess:
– a good understanding of human rights and of principles of human rights monitoring, preferably with a focus on freedom of peaceful assembly; previous experience in assembly monitoring, and a good understanding of local laws and regulations relating to assemblies are desirable;
– good report writing skills in English;
– sound judgement and awareness of the risks posed by crowds and gatherings;
– ability to work as part of a team.
Monitors are expected to be based in or near Chicago, to be available between 16 and 21 May 2012 and, in order to ensure their impartiality, not to be affiliated with any of the protesting groups or organizations, or with any bodies involved in the policing and regulation of assemblies. They will receive a one-day briefing / training in Chicago (some monitors may be required to deploy in or around Camp David on 18 and 19 May). The total duration of the engagement will be between three and seven working days, including one day for report writing.
Monitors will receive a fee of 125 EUR/day (approximately 165 USD at the current exchange rate), including for time spent in training, briefings, debriefings, and report writing. Travel expenses to/from Camp David will be reimbursed, if applicable. Assembly monitoring may require working long hours, and/or outside normal office hours.
Individuals interested in being considered for the position of assembly monitors should send, by 15 April 2012, a brief cover email (specifying the exact dates of their availability), attaching a curriculum vitae and a short unedited writing sample to this address:
Pre-selected individuals will be contacted by ODIHR for a telephone interview.
The OSCE/ODIHR is the specialized institution of the OSCE dealing with elections, human rights, and democratization. The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization comprising 56 States from Europe, Central Asia and North America. For more information about activities by OSCE/ODIHR on freedom of peaceful assembly, including a link to the ODIHR Handbook on Monitoring Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, please see: