The Italian Junior Professional Officers Program – also known as the JPO Program – is a multilateral technical cooperation initiative sponsored by the Government of Italy and implemented by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA).
It enables Italian citizens holding an advanced university degree (Master’s level) who have an excellent knowledge of English and Italian and who are not more than 30 years of age (31 or 33 for graduates in medicine and surgery) to gain work experience with international organizations for a period of two years. In the past four years a limited number of positions have been assigned to candidates from developing countries (Least Developed Countries and priority Countries for the Italian Development Cooperation).
The purpose of the Program is two-fold: on the one hand, it assists international organizations in carrying out their activities by providing them with skilled personnel for a period of two years; on the other, it allows young qualified professionals seeking an international career the opportunity of two years’ work experience that will broaden their chances of finding a suitable job in international organizations or in the international field.
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 ...... continue reading
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UNDESA Italian Junior Professional Officers Program
Aim and Benefits of UNDESA Italian Junior Professional Officers Program
- Contracts for Junior Professional Officers comprise the following: salary, medical insurance, life assurance, pension contributions, as well as allowances for travel shipment, installment at the duty station and repatriation.
Requirements for UNDESA Italian Junior Professional Officers Program Qualification
- Applicant must be born on or after January 1, 1991 (1 January 1990 for graduates in Medicine; January 1, 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 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 January 1, 1991 (January 1, 1990 for graduates in Medicine; January 1, 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, 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 UNDESA Italian Junior Professional Officers Program
Given the highly competitive nature of the Italian JPO Program, 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.
Application Deadline
December 30, 2021
How to Apply
Interested and qualified? Go to
United Nations on owa.undesa.it to apply
For more details,visit UNDESA website
