FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – LTOs and STOs

 

1. SELECTION
All shortlisted STOs and LTOs for the parliamentary election will be notified by email.

2. PREPARATION FOR DEPLOYMENT – THINGS TO DO PRIOR TO DEPARTURE
After you have been selected either as an LTO or STO, you must sign a Contract with CANEOM, including a Code of Conduct, and complete an election observer accreditation form for the Ukraine Electoral Commission.

Visa requirements: Canadian Citizens do not require a visa for Ukraine for stays up to 90 days per six-month period. Your Canadian passport must be valid for at least six months after the last day of assignment in Ukraine and have six empty pages.

Medical declaration: You will need to provide a medical declaration indicating your good health condition.

It is essential that you have access to e-mail and internet connection during your engagement in Ukraine. CANEOM will provide  teams of observers with shared communication devices (phones/laptops). You are welcome to bring your own mobile device but it will be your cost for usage with local carriers.

3. TRAVEL AND FIELD LOGISTICS
CANEOM will arrange international economy-class flights for both LTOs and STOs including in-transit accommodation where required. Accommodation and travel to locations of deployment within Ukraine will be organized by CANEOM’s field office in Kyiv. Details will be provided during orientation. Due to the limited availability of accommodation facilities in some of the regions of Ukraine, observers should be aware that relatively modest conditions might be expected in some cases and observers might have to share rooms with colleagues.

Important: It is not possible to extend your stay beyond the duration of the observation mission. Your international ticket will cover the exact dates of the mission. You must retain and mail back original copies of your boarding passes at the end of the mission.

Upon your arrival in Kyiv, you will be met by CANEOM’s field team. Deployment and transportation throughout the country will be facilitated by the field office and the LTOs.. The safety and security of observers is of primary concern when organizing and facilitating these activities. As travel and accommodation arrangements will be booked and as security considerations have been given, observers must attend to their assigned areas.

Compensation and costs: Being an election observer is a voluntary position. Travel and insurance expenses are covered for all observers as well as a per diem. The amounts will be based on current provision of the Canadian Treasury Board Guidelines. LTOs are provided a weekly honorarium as they are in country for an extended period. STOs do not receive honorarium as they are in country for short periods.

Security: This is of prime concern. CANEOM’s Mission Core Team is closely monitoring the situation to guide decisions and actions for the Elections Observation Mission.

4. TRAINING, ORIENTATION AND FIELD DEPLOYMENT
All mission training and orientation will occur when LTOs and STOs arrive in Kyiv at the mission headquarters. However, some information and direction will be provided via email prior to departure.

In-country deployment locations and instructions will be provided during the orientation session in Kyiv.

5. CODE OF CONDUCT
LTOs and STOs will be expected to have exemplary conduct and must recognize that they represent Canada. LTOs and STOs will sign the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers. This Code of Conduct governs the actions of LTOs and STOs whilst in the field; it states that the behaviour of observers in no way jeopardizes the impartiality of the election process.

Canadian LTOs and STOs are to observe, record and report on the electoral process, and to aggregate findings into a final report on whether the election results may be deemed to reflect the genuine democratic expression of the Ukrainian people.