Michael Meyer-Resende, LL.M., (European Law),
German, fully qualified lawyer, eight years work experience including: two years legal practice in Berlin, four years with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the OSCE (Warsaw) as Rule of Law Expert, Political Adviser for Balkan Affairs and Legal/ Political Adviser on ODIHR Election Observation Missions (incl. Macedonia 2002). Almost three years with the election team of the European Commission (leading Election Exploratory Missions to Mozambique, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, West Bank/Gaza, Lebanon, Egypt); journalistic experience (BBC, Print Media). Based in Lisbon, Portugal and Berlin, Germany.Co-ordinator, Contact: m.meyer@democracy-reporting.org
Paul Daniel O'Grady, M.A., (Development Studies),
British, graduated with a B.A. in Social Anthropology. Twelve years experience working with international organizations including the UN, OSCE, EU, and DFID (UK Government Department). Specialist in elections and democratisation with additional experience in human rights, political affairs, humanitarian affairs and social development. Assignments to Southern, East and West Africa; Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, and the South Caucasus. Head and Deputy Head of numerous high-profile OSCE Election Observation Missions, including: Georgia (2003), Ukraine (2004), Albania (2005) and Belarus (2006). Based in Brussels, Belgium and in the UK.Contact: p.ogrady@democracy-reporting.org
Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, Ph.D. (Public International Law),
German, fully qualified lawyer, eight years work experience including: two years legal practice in Berlin, two years with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the OSCE (Warsaw) and the European Union as Legal and Election Expert of various Election Observation Missions; two years desk officer with the German Federal Government, EU co-ordination (EU enlargement, EU constitution and EU strategy for sustainable development), two years project leader with Ecologic, a think tank (international environmental governance, development and environment). Based in Berlin, Germany.Contact: n.ohlendorf@democracy-reporting.org
Marie-Violette César, DESS (Political Science),
French, expert in democratisation and humanitarian relief. 14 years work experience, starting as election expert with the UN Mission to Cambodia in 1992 and has since worked in a dozen countries for the UN, the OSCE, the EU and NGOs on emergency relief operations, in election assistance and election observation. Worked recently as a Senior Adviser to the Independent Election Commission of Iraq and as the Deputy Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission to Rwanda (2003) and Haiti (2006). Based in Guadeloupe, France.Contact: mv.cesar@democracy-reporting.org
Michaela Küfner, M.A. (European Studies), BA Hons.,
German. Television journalist and news presenter for DW-tv, Germany's English language news channel. Eleven years' experience in television, starting as a BBC reporter based in London. Involved in human rights monitoring and advocacy for six years, working primarily for the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on minority and democratisation issues. She has observed numerous elections for the OSCE and the EU, most recently in Indonesia and the United States. Based in Berlin, Germany.Contact: m.kuefner@democracy-reporting.org
Michel Paternotre, M.A. (Political Science),
Belgian, twelve years work experience including four years at the European Commission Secretariat General (institutional affairs), three years as consultant in European political and social affairs for European trade union research centres and five years in electoral technical assistance and observation missions with the OSCE (Bosnia), the UN (Kosovo, East Timor, Comoros) and the EU (East Timor, Ivory Coast, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Haiti). Until recently political officer of the European Commission Technical Assistance Office in Jerusalem. Based in Brussels, Belgium.Contact: m.paternotre@democracy-reporting.org
Richard Chambers LLB (Law with Honours) (Wales)
British. Over thirteen years of experience in law, democratisation and elections. He was Team Leader of the EU Democracy and Election Support Mission to the Afghanistan Presidential Elections 2004 and has also observed numerous elections for the EU and OSCE/ODIHR, including recently as Deputy Chief Observer for the 2006 parliamentary elections in Palestine and presidential elections in Yemen. With wide experience of conflict resolution in the Balkans and Caucasus, Richard has also acted as an independent technical adviser to the National Election Board of Ethiopia. He previously worked as a barrister. Based out of Wales, UK.Contact: r.chambers@democracy-reporting.org