Key Expert – EL PACCTO 2.0

PACCTO 2.0 is a European Union program that aims to strengthen justice and security systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, covering the entire criminal justice chain: police, justice and penitentiary. It seeks to improve cooperation between the actors of the criminal justice system in the EU and the region in the fight against organized crime.

The program is articulated around four lines of work:

1. High-level strategic dialogues,
2. Capacity building and institutional strengthening,
3. Operational cooperation,
4. Fight against major criminal markets (such as drug and firearms trafficking, cybercrime, environmental crime and trafficking on human beings).

The priorities are specified in biannual Strategic Plans and Annual Action Plans, defined together with the partner countries and linked to the program's logical framework.

Due to the transnational nature of organized crime, the Program's specific objective 1 on Regional Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation on Justice and Security Issues is essential to achieve greater bi-regional coordination and cooperation. In this sense, the design and development of public policies and the creation of reinforced high-level police, judicial and penitentiary cooperation between Latin America, the Caribbean and the EU is key.

Since 2017, the EL PACCTO program fosters a strategic partnership between the EU and Latin America in the fight against organized crime. In its second phase of implementation (from 2024 to 2027), the Program remains a key instrument to support the launch and implementation of key initiatives within and between the two regions. PACCTO 2.0 will contribute to the promotion of regional and trans-regional political dialogue on Justice and Security through several initiatives launched in the previous phase and which will be reinforced/boosted in this new phase.

In the security sector, the first phase of PACCTO supported the creation of the Latin American Committee for Internal Security (CLASI), inspired by the experience of the EU's COSI (Committee for Operational Cooperation on Internal Security) created in 2010. Also noteworthy is the importance of the EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platforms against Criminal Threats) structure and the SOCTA (Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment) tool, which provides a periodic analysis of the main threats to the EU in the field of serious and organized crime, establishing the main criminal priorities of EMPACT. Inspired by the above-mentioned EU experience, LA countries adapted these structures with the support of PACCTO by creating CLASI and IDEAL (Latin American Threat Assessment Instrument).

CLASI was formally established on March 3, 2022, with the signing of the Brussels Declaration. Initially, high-level representatives from seven Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama and the Dominican Republic) signed the declaration in Brussels to create CLASI, establishing it as a forum for political and technical dialogue between those responsible for security policies in Latin American countries, which will make it possible to articulate common public policies to address organized crime in the region. More countries in the region have progressively joined CLASI and it currently comprises a total of 15 countries. 

Various strategic meetings have taken place since the establishment, both internal and with EU institutions, to define their structure, their strategy, their priorities and their operational plan.

With the support of EL PACCTO 2.0 program, the dialogue EU-CLASI has been strengthened, defining joint working procedures on common priorities.

The joint working procedures define mechanisms and a roadmap for cooperation between COSI and CLASI, demonstrating the commitment of both regions to advance bi-regional dialogue on security issues.

In connection with the Third EU-CLASI Ministerial Meeting, held on March 2025, EU and CLASI interior ministers adopted an EU-CLASI Joint Declaration[1], focused on addressing the common threats posed by organized crime in both regions. For the first time, they also approved a roadmap for the period 2025-2026 that sets out priorities and concrete measures to foster operational cooperation. This Joint Declaration, which marks an important milestone in the bi-regional relationship, highlights among others the following priorities:

• Promote the exchange of information and cooperation between EU security and justice institutions and CLASI.
• Increase joint efforts to combat and dismantle high-risk criminal networks involved in multiple criminal markets;
• Adopt the ‘follow the money’ approach to dismantle the economic infrastructure of organized crime, money laundering networks, hidden assets and corruption.
• Support cooperative efforts to strengthen the resilience of logistics hubs and supply chain security in both regions, involving relevant public and private sector actors; and deepen dialogue with the European Union and its Ports Alliance.
• Support the Police Community of the Americas AMERIPOL, promote cooperation with Europol and Eurojust.
• Emphasize the importance of incorporating a gender perspective in the fight against organized crime and also in institutional strategies that promote women's leadership in this area.

The Declaration also highlights the commitment of the representatives of both regions to strengthen operational police cooperation between the EU and Latin America for the coordination of joint initiatives, the exchange of information and the conduct of cross-border operations to effectively combat organized crime and dismantle criminal networks.

It also underlines the role of EMPACT, as an instrument to address priority crime areas, incorporates mechanisms to facilitate bilateral and multilateral dialogue, including with Latin American partners, as well as operational cooperation, highlighting the adoption of OAPs, under the coordination of CLASI, following the EMPACT model, with the aim of harmonizing strategic, tactical and operational actions in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Objective

Consequently, the profile of the required expert aims to assure the support of the PACCTO 2.0 Program to the CLASI in particular, by monitoring the implementation of the CLASI Secretariat; the implementation of the CLASI OAPs and their alignment with the EMPACTs of the European Union; and, finally, in the handovers between the successive protempore presidencies.

Description of the services to be performed

Main functions

The expert person will be integrated into the PACCTO 2.0 team under the direction of the Deputy Director of Component 1 and will be in charge of the follow-up and support of the CLASI, its consolidation, the Secretariat functioning and annual planification.

It will also assist the CLASI Chair pro tempore and the CLASI Support Group in the implementation of the CLASI OAPs work plans and their alignment with the EU EMPACTs. To this end, it could mobilize specific short-term expertise from different EU and Latin American countries to support these activities. 

It will identify the demands of the beneficiary countries in relation to regional cooperation and threat assessment. It will assess the relevance of these demands (policy, sustainability, impact and high institutional priority) and their coherence with the Program's objectives. Develop proposals for activities for the annual action plan for Component 1 and assure their implementation, evaluation and reporting.

Ensure the integration of the gender and human rights approach in the activities under its responsibility.

Ensure the visibility of the Program and the European Union in all activities implemented. 

For all this, he/she will work closely with the Program team, especially with the rest of the Key Experts of Component 1 and with the Senior Project Officer and will be supported by the Program's project technicians and support technicians to implement the activities in line with the contractual requirements, both technical and administrative.

Travels to Latin America and the Caribbeans and also in Europe, for short term missions, to participate in meetings and seminars.

Products to be delivered by the expert:

1. Report of the country missions carried out, according to the program model, correctly completed, which should include:

• The content and main conclusions of each of the working sessions.
• Evidence documenting the results advanced and/or achieved by the activity in terms of the relevant indicators of the program. As annexes, the following should be included:

1. Bimonthly report of the activities developed during the period and associated products.
2. Any other report requested by the Deputy Director of Component 1 or the contracting agency as part of his/her functions.

Requirements of the expert(s):

1. Training:

• University degree in security or political science or equivalent experience in the security field.
• Absolute command of Spanish (oral and written) at C1 level is essential; Knowledge of English and Portuguese is an asset.
• Good writing and synthesis skills are a must;
• Good interpersonal and communication skills with multicultural interlocutors;
• Mastery of common office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint...).

2. General profesional experience: 

• Minimum of 10 years of general professional experience in the security field.
• Knowledge and practical experience in international police cooperation. 
• Working experience and concrete knowledge of the functioning of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) and of the European Union security policy cycles.
• Knowledge of the functioning of international cooperation programs (European Union, United Nations, etc.);
• Knowledge of the strategies and policies of the European Union in the field of security and fight against organized crime.
• Knowledge of the functioning of Latin American and Caribbean security institutions will be an asset.
• Diplomacy and capacity for dialogue with high-level actors. 
• Strong teamwork ability.

Merits of the expert:

• Experience in international cooperation in the field of police and security for more than 5 years.
• Expertise or justified knowledge in the fight against organized crime for at least 5 years.
• Experience working with Latin American police and/or security institutions.
• Experience and/or knowledge of gender equality will be a plus.
• Practical experience in planning and organizing complex activities, even more in the context of European programs or projects;
• Willingness to travel within Europe and to Latin America and the Caribbean;

Duration

Since the expert is part of the permanent team of the Program, he/she is expected to develop his/her work until the end of the Program, expected for November 2027.

Estimated start date of the assignment: October 2025.

Commitment to Equality and Non-Discrimination.

The PACCTO 2.0 program promotes the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination. The selected expert or team must contribute to gender equity and respect the rights of all people, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, disability or any other condition. Compliance with these principles will be positively evaluated both in the technical proposal and in the execution of the work.

Please send your applications (CV and cover letter) electronically to the following email addresses: perez.mi@civipol.fr, sperber.s@civipol.fr

Please mention “EL PACCTO 2.0 – Key Expert application” in the subject line.