United Nations Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme for Developing Countries 2022

JPOs are usually nationals of Donor countries, however some Donors also finance nationals of developing countries. The JPO programme is open to applicants from participating countries.

About United Nations

The English language component of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme (IFP) was established in 1997. It takes place at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland and lasts for 4 weeks, usually coinciding with the annual meeting of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). The objective of this training programme is to enhance the knowledge of indigenous peoples on existing international human rights instruments and mechanisms, so they can use them to more effectively advocate for the rights of their communities ...... read more

Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme

Requirements for Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme Qualification

Candidates must meet all the following requirements to be considered eligible for the 2021/2022 edition:

• born on or after 1 January 1991 (1 January 1990 for graduates in Medicine; 1 January 1988 for graduates in Medicine who have already been awarded a post-graduate medical specialization degree).
• Italian nationality
• fluency in English and Italian
• hold one of the following advanced university degrees (or degree combinations), awarded before the application deadline:

• Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica.
• Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico.
• Laurea/Laurea Triennale plus university Master’s degree.
• Bachelor’s degree plus university Master’s degree. 

For the 2021/2022 United Nations Junior Professional Officer (JPO) edition, a limited number of positions will be assigned to candidates from developing countries (Least Developed Countries and priority Countries for the Italian Development Cooperation). These candidates must meet all of the following requirements to be considered eligible for the 2021/2022 edition: 

• born on or after 1 January 1991 (1 January 1990 for graduates in Medicine; 1 January 1988 for graduates in Medicine who have already been awarded a post-graduate medical specialization degree)
• hold the passport of one of the following UN Member States or non-Member Observer States: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, State of Palestine, Sudan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia.
• fluency in English (knowledge of Italian will be considered an asset)
• hold one of the following advanced university degrees (or degree combinations), awarded before the application deadline:
• Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica.
• Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico.
• Laurea/LaureaTriennale plus university Master’s degree.
• Bachelor’s degree plus university Master’s degree.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme

Additional skills and qualifications 

Given the highly competitive nature of the Italian JPO Programme, as well as the increasingly demanding skill-sets and level of experience sought by International Organizations, the following are frequently considered important assets:

• knowledge of other UN official languages / languages spoken in developing countries
• additional academic qualifications and/or training courses
• solid professional work experience (minimum one year)
• key competencies such as client orientation, teamwork, communication, accountability, planning and organization.

Candidates are expected to be motivated, flexible and willing to adapt to different environments. Furthermore, they must at all times demonstrate commitment to the core values of the United Nations, i.e. integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Applications to the Programme can only be submitted online through the Online Web Application tool (OWA) of the UN/DESA Office in Rome. It is no longer possible to submit applications via alternative channels.

For more details, visit the website.