The United Nations is hiring folks with experience in breaking up armed militias, seizing guns and reintegrating the detained back into civil society.

It’s a common UN mission in third world countries across the globe, but the latest listing – posted the day after Christmas – is raising eyebrows because of the surprising location.

“The position is located in the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Section of the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York,” according to the job posting, which runs through February 2020. “New York is classified as a hardship ‘H’ duty station and family duty station. The incumbent reports to and is under the overall supervision of the DDR Section Chief.”

The applicant can expect “two to three missions” that involve technical assessment and assistance to peace negotiations and work with other UN agencies in a task force “for the establishment of a new peacekeeping mission with a potential DDR component,” the listing reads.

The “Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Officer, P4” will provide “headquarters support in planning the civilian and military logistics support for DDR,” and would help develop the “initial DDR functional strategy and concept of operations for further development into a full programme by the DDR component and the National DDR Commission.”

The job posting doesn’t divulge what, exactly, the UN is up to, but it makes it clear those hired will coordinate a lot with locals and agency officials, and the only language required for the “missions” is English. – READ MORE