EU Electoral Observation Mission - LTO
Bangladesh General Election
February 2025 (exact date to be confirmed)

Pending final confirmation from the EU, CANADEM is seeking to deploy two (2) Long-Term Observers (LTOs) to the EU's Election Observation Mission to the Bangladesh General Election (2026).

LTO tentative deployment dates:

Arrival: January 11th, 2026
Return: February 21st, 2026

Applicants must be Canadian Citizens and be fully fluent in English

Terms of Reference
Long Term Observer (LTO)

Under the supervision of the Observer Coordinator and in coordination with the Service Provider's team of experts, the Long Term Observers (LTOs) shall carry out the following specific tasks:

1. Familiarise themselves with the methodology of EU EOMs, respective roles and duties of EU EOM members, as outlined in the EU Handbook for European Union Election Observation1;

2. Sign and abide by the Code of conduct and Ethical aspects for Election observers and by the instructions of the DCO, Core Team and Service Provider’s experts. Failure to follow those code of conduct and instructions may result in an anticipated termination of the observer's assignment, immediate repatriation to the place of residence and non-recommendation for future EU EOMs;

3. Ensure that any personal data received during an EU EOM is handled in line with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data as well as with the Privacy Statement on the Implementation of the European Union Election Observation Missions.

4. Attend training sessions, briefing and debriefing sessions, as required by the European Commission, the Core team and the Service Provider’s experts;

5. Familiarize themselves with the applicable International and regional standards for elections2, and the relevant country specific election rules, regulations and procedures;

6. Establish the presence of the EU EOM in their assigned Area of Responsibility (AoR);

7. Report to the Observer coordinator, the Security expert and the Logistics Expert, as requested by Core team and Service provider's instructions;

8. Under the guidance of the Service Provider’s Logistics and Security Experts, gather security and logistics information on their AoR including road conditions, food and water availability, and accommodation facilities;

9. Establish good working relations with the electoral and civil administration, political parties, NGOs, international organizations and other election stakeholders in the AoR; Liaise with local domestic and international observers deployed in the AoR;

10. Follow on electoral disputes, complaints and appeals;

11. Monitor local media in accordance with the methodology and requirements specified by the Media and Social Media Analysts;

12. Monitor pre-electoral environment, the election campaign and administrative preparations in the AoR; Observe election day, counting and tabulation operations; Monitor post-electoral developments;

13. Coordinate and manage the deployment of Short Term Observers in the AoR (if applicable);

14. Brief and debrief Short Term Observers and Members of the European Parliament Delegation deployed in the AoR, as requested by the Core Team and Service Provider (if applicable);

15. Evaluate the performance of Short Term Observers in conjunction with the Observer Coordinator (if applicable);

16. Ensure that reports are submitted to Core Team within the set reporting deadlines; Ensure that Short Term Observers in the AoR submit reports as soon as feasible and within the deadline (if applicable);

17. Submit an End of Mission report based on the template provided by the Core Team;

18. Participate in an evaluation meeting with the Observer coordinator at the end of the mission;

19. Perform any additional duties and comply with any additional requests deemed necessary to the good functioning of the EU EOM.

Remuneration
Successful LTO candidates will receive:

Transportation costs covered;
Fee for service (exact details TBC);
Per diem based on location; and
Accommodation covered.

Some of the most important criteria based on which we will shortlist candidates are:

Previous observation experience (at least 2 previous missions for LTOs, at least one previous mission for STOs);
English language fluency is mandatory;
Demonstrated commitment to democracy and human rights;
Excellent physical condition and good health;
Willingness to accept very difficult living conditions and abide by security risk mitigation measures;
High degree of flexibility in terms of mission timetable in case of changes and delays;
Previous experience as a civilian in a large-scale international mission or in a human rights monitoring mission is an asset;
Experience in the region (South Asia) is an asset.