Born in Granada (Spain) in 1975, Alvaro Ballesteros has developed his entire professional carrier in the international arena. He is an international expert in the field of Security Institution Building and since September 2007 he works for the mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Kosovo, seconded by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Ballesteros works as Chief of the Analysis and Reporting Cell within the Department for Security and Public Safety. His department deals with developing Security and Public Safety institutions up to the highest standards, in fields such as Police work, management, education and monitoring, and cooperation with other Security agencies such as Border Police, Customs Service, Fire and Rescue Brigades and Corrections. His daily activities in Kosovo are shared between his office at the OSCE HQ in Prishtine/Pristina and his office at the Kosovo Police Center for Public Safety Education and Development (KCPSED) in Vushtrri/Vucitrn, attending coordination meetings with local and international authorities and producing analysis reports.   

Prior to taking this post, Mr. Ballesteros worked from January 2006 to August 2007 as Executive Director of the European Academy for International Training (EAIT), an international training centre for civilian, police and military staffs that were to be sent to work jointly in international missions. At the EAIT, Mr. Ballesteros coordinated the academy activities and lectured about the EU’s Security Strategy and the fight against Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) in international missions. From February 2004 to December 2005, Mr. Ballesteros worked for the EU in FYRO Macedonia, as Law Enforcement Monitor and THB Project Leader within the EU Police Mission “EUPOL PROXIMA”. During his service with this EU mission, he worked closely with Police Officers from all over Europe and local Police, Judges, Prosecutors, and NGOs, assisting them in the fight against Organized Crime and institution building efforts, especially in the conflict-torn western part of the country. Due to his work in this field, he received the ESDP Service Medal granted by the office of SG/HR Dr. Javier Solana. Mr. Ballesteros participated in the works of the PROXIMA Task Force that organized, developed and run the first Command Post Exercise ever held in the Balkans according to CEPOL standards. From October 2001 to February 2004, Mr. Ballesteros worked also in FYRO Macedonia, for the OSCE Spillover Monitoring Mission, as a Rule of Law Officer, specialized in the fight against THB. During this time he cooperated with Police, Judges, Prosecutors and specialized NGOs in the nascent field of the fight against THB. Also during these years he developed a close cooperation with the US Department of Justice programmes ICITAP and OPDAT. Mr. Ballesteros regularly attended their workshops and seminars as guest speaker and facilitator. In 2000 and 2001, he worked for the OSCE Electoral Monitoring missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Belarus, where he supervised and monitored the organization of elections held in these former socialist republics.

With a solid international education, Mr. Ballesteros holds a BA in History (specialized in International Relations) from the University of Granada, and is a PhD Candidate at the MoD College “General Gutierrez Mellado” in Madrid, in the field of Peace and International Security. A graduate from the EU specialized training centres in Sweden (Folke Bernadotte Academy) and Austria (ASPR Schlaining), Mr. Ballesteros is the first Spaniard to graduate from the Leaders’ Programme on Advanced Security Studies at the George C. Marshall Center College of International and Security Studies, in Garmisch (Germany). His academic education also includes studies of Foreign Languages and Law. In 1998 and 1999 he received a scholarship to study Foreign Languages at the University of Belgrade (Serbia), and in 2000, he attended a specialized University course in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) on Security Challenges in the 21^st Century.   

Mr. Ballesteros has developed a close cooperation with several specialized NGOs and international institutions working on soft security issues, and has attended numerous conferences and workshops on international cooperation, fight against Organized Crime, Human Rights, and institutional development in the Balkans. He is frequently invited as guest speaker and facilitator/moderator. He has also written different articles and cooperated in international documents about the fight against THB. His latest research paper on Human Trafficking and international peacekeeping operations has been recently published in the PfP Consortium Journal “Connections”. Mr. Ballesteros has worked as facilitator and mediator in different international training programmes for Judges, Prosecutors, Police and specialized NGO staffs held by the ICMPD and the UNDP. In 2004 and 2005, Mr. Ballesteros took part in the works of the interagency expert Working Groups set up by the UN and NATO to design the training packages regarding THB prevention and awareness for international troops deployed in peacekeeping operations. In 2005, Mr. Ballesteros received NATO’s official gratitude for his contribution towards implementing the 2004 NATO “Zero Tolerance” policy regarding Trafficking in Human Beings.

Mr. Ballesteros speaks English, Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian and Macedonian, and has basic knowledge of Albanian. He is married and has one daughter.