Permanent Staff

The Deputy Secretary-General serves as a member of the senior management team, providing advice and support to the Secretary-General and Assembly leadership, working in close cooperation with and overseeing the work of the Executive Office and Administration, Finance, and Human Resources. In addition, Gustavo Pallares:

• Serves as Finance Officer under Rule 40-3 of the OSCE PA Rules of Procedure.


• Provides leadership to the administration of the International Secretariat.


• Serves as Programme Coordinator for gender issues and Mediterranean affairs, among other responsibilities.

Pallares was appointed unanimously by the Standing Committee in 2007, having worked in the International Secretariat since February 2001. As a Presidential Advisor from 2001 to 2007, he was responsible for the overall coordination of the activities of the Assembly's Presidents. Before joining the International Secretariat, Pallares worked for several years in the Parliament of Spain as a senior counselor to the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Pallares has also worked for the Secretariat of the European Parliament.

Pallares holds degrees in political science and international relations (University of Madrid and George Washington University) and a Master’s degree in European studies (University of Louvain). He is a distinguished graduate of the Diplomatic School of the Spanish Foreign Ministry in Madrid, where his thesis explored the institutionalization process of the CSCE/OSCE.

Working languages: Spanish, English, French, and Danish.

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Secretary-General, the Programme and Administrative Officer assists the Special Representative and performs duties related to administration and finance in the Vienna Office.

Additionally, Sherif Abdili:

• Serves as a Programme Coordinator for South East Europe.


• Serves as Programme Coordinator for Fighting Corruption.


• Assists the Special Representative with political analysis and advice related to South East Europe.


• Deals with administrative and finance issues.

Sherif Abdili joined the International Secretariat in January 2022. Prior to that, he had been with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, in its Office in south Serbia, for over 20 years.

He speaks Albanian, Serbian, English, and some German.

Under the overall supervision of the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General the Chief of Staff manages the work of the Secretary General’s Office, providing support and advice to the Secretary General and the senior management team. The Chief of Staff serves a co-ordinating function with regard to the various fields of work of the International Secretariat.

Baker has previously served the Assembly Head of Elections, as Presidential Advisor under several presidents and as Press Officer, in addition to being a Senior Advisor to numerous election observation missions deployed by the OSCE PA. He has also worked in the Parliament of Canada and as a political affairs officer for the United Nations in Geneva.

He has a Master's in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School, a Master’s in International Studies from Uppsala University, and a Bachelor’s degree in International History from the London School of Economics.

Working languages: English, French and Danish.

The Senior Advisor provides advice and support, including to the Secretary-General and other members of the International Secretariat, on a range of programmatic and parliamentary diplomacy issues. In particular, the Senior Advisor:

• Provides advice on matters pertaining to transnational security threats, economic, and environmental affairs.


• Serves as Director for Economic and Environmental Security, working closely with the OSCE’s Economic and Environmental Committee and the Coordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities to build synergy with the efforts of the OSCE PA General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology, and Environment.


• Serves as Programme Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism Affairs and the fight against Organized Crime.


• Regularly liaises with the OSCE Secretariat, delegations of the OSCE participating States, and relevant external partners to ensure the timely exchange of information and planning of relevant initiatives.

Bonabello joined the OSCE PA Liaison Office in Vienna in May 2017. Prior to joining the PA, he served as a Senior Coordination Advisor in the Office of the OSCE Special Representative for Combating Human Trafficking, where he advanced OSCE efforts in the context of conflicts, mixed-migration flows, and terrorism.

He has also served as a Policy and Planning Officer for the OSCE Secretary-General, an OSCE Legal Advisor in Serbia, a Court Officer of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and a Human Rights Officer of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Marco holds a Master’s degree in Law from the Rome State University and specialized in diplomatic affairs at the Italian Society for International Organizations.

Working languages: English, Italian, and French.

The Senior Advisor provides advice and support, including to the Secretary-General and other members of the International Secretariat, on a range of programmatic and parliamentary diplomacy issues. In particular, the Senior Advisor:

• Serves as Programme Coordinator for Climate Change.


• Assists with preparations and undertakes official visits by OSCE PA officials and supports election observation missions.


• Provides support to the Research Fellowship Programme.


• Provides support to Economic and Environmental Security work, working closely with the OSCE's Economic and Environmental Committee and the Coordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities.


• Maintains the Russian version of the International Secretariat's website.


• Edits and reviews translations generated by the International Secretariat or externally to ensure proper quality and reflection of content.


• Upon coordination with the Secretary-General, provides interpretation at some meetings and conferences.

Ms. Boyarskaya has worked for the OSCE PA as an external consultant supporting the Translation and Interpretation teams since July 2010. She was hired in October 2020 and started her assignment at the International Secretariat in January 2021. She previously worked with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Russia.

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Secretary General, the Head of Documents Services is responsible for managing and processing Assembly documents, including translations, in particular in preparation for major Assembly meetings. In addition, Dana Bjerregaard:

• Supports the Research Assistants’ Programme and Sub-Committee on Rules of Procedure and Working Practices;


• Provides overall support to the smooth running and administration of the International Secretariat’s work, among other responsibilities.

Bjerregaard joined the International Secretariat in 2005 as Assistant to the Secretary General. Prior to joining the International Secretariat, she worked for various law firms in the United States.

Working languages: English and Danish.

Under the overall supervision of the Secretary General, the Senior Advisor provides advice and support to a range of the Assembly’s programmatic activities. In addition, Farimah Daftary:

• Serves as Programme Co-ordinator for Migration Issues, for Central Asian affairs, as well as Research Assistants’ Programme


• Serves as focal point for minority issues;


• Supports the work in the Document Services Team;


• Supports the work in the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions.

Daftary joined the International Secretariat in October 2013, first serving as Office Assistant. She specializes in minority issues and conflict resolution and has previously worked for the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI), the Open Society Institute and the OSCE Secretariat in Prague.

She holds a Master’s degree in international affairs from SIPA at Columbia University and a Master's of research in political science from the London School of Economics.

Working languages: English, French, Danish, Russian and German.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Communication and Press, and the overall supervision of the Secretary General, the Communications and Press Officer supports the International Secretariat's communications and works to raise the profile of Assembly activities. In addition, Anna Di Domenico:

• Serves as Deputy to the Head of Communications and Press;


• Manages and co-ordinates the OSCE PA Events App and website;


• Supports the work in a range of activities, including related to disinformation and propaganda, election observation and the Mediterranean;


• Provides general and administrative support to the office of the Secretary General

Di Domenico joined the International Secretariat in February 2016, having previously served as a Research Assistant. Prior to joining the International Secretariat, she worked for NATO, the European External Action Service, an EU regional office, a number of non-governmental organizations and in the private sector.

Di Domenico holds a Bachelor’s degree in diplomacy and a Master’s degree in politics and international relations from the University of Naples "l’Orientale".

Working languages: Italian, German, English, French.

Hana Đogović has been working as Programme Officer for the International Secretariat since January 2020. She supports the Assembly’s programmatic and policy work on human rights, gender equality and countering terrorism.

In particular, she:

• Serves as Programme Co-ordinator for Gender Issues, and as Gender Focal Point for the International Secretariat;


• Supports the work in the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions;


• Conducts policy analysis and represents the International Secretariat in relation to these and other fields as appropriate.

Hana has previously held posts with OSCE Mission in Kosovo and OSCE Secretariat in Vienna. She is experienced in working with major international organizations, such as UNDP and World Bank Group, as well as a number of diplomatic missions and NGOs. She holds a Master’s degree in Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Sarajevo.

She speaks fluent English and Bosnian and has good command of Italian, German and French.

The Executive Assistant to the Secretary General provides support to the Office of the OSCE PA Secretary General and facilitates administration and communication within the executive office. The Executive Assistant acts as a liaison between the Secretary General and internal as well as external stakeholders. Ms. Filipovska is responsible for arranging programmes for official visits and supporting the preparation of reports and meeting materials.

In addition, Ms. Filipovska serves as support for the Conference Services Department, Election Observation Department, and the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security as needed. 

Ms. Filipovska joined the International Secretariat in March 2022 as a Research Assistant. Prior to joining the OSCE PA, she worked at the International Crisis Group in Brussels, and the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP) in New York. 

Ms. Filipovska holds a Master's degree in International Security and Law from the University of Southern Denmark.

Working languages: Macedonian, English, Danish, and Serbian. Basic knowledge of Spanish.