Deadline:
December 18, 2025
Location(s)
Algeria Austria Belgium Cameroon Denmark Egypt Ethiopia France Italy Jamaica Kenya Moldova Mozambique Senegal Switzerland Tanzania Tunisia United Kingdom United States of America
UN/DESA Office in Rome; various duty stations
Overview
The Italian Junior Professional Officers Programme – also known as the JPO Programme – is a multilateral development cooperation initiative sponsored by the Government of Italy and implemented by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA).
Details
The purpose of the Programme is two-fold:
- to assist international organizations in carrying out their activities by providing them with gratis skilled personnel;
- to allow qualified young professionals seeking an international career to make a relevant experience that could broaden their chances of recruitment in international organizations or in the international field.
The Programme stems from a United Nations Economic and Social Council resolution adopted in 1961, which approved and encouraged the collaboration of volunteers (funded by their respective countries of origin) in development cooperation initiatives and programmes.
Italy joined this scheme in the mid-1970’s and over the years developed it into a full Programme, extending its sponsorship from the UN Secretariat and relevant Bodies to entities and specialized agencies of the UN system, as well as other international organizations with which the Italian Government entered into specific agreements. To date, Italy has sponsored more than 1,960 Junior Professional Officers.
In agreement with the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA) disseminates information on the Italian JPO Programme, manages the application process and performs the assessment and short-listing of candidates. Responsibility for the final selection of candidates lies with the respective UN agencies and international organizations to which the Junior Professional Officers will be assigned.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
The general admission requirements for Italian nationals are the following:
- born on or after 1 January 1997
- Italian nationality
- fluency in English and Italian
- advanced university degree, awarded before the application deadline, such as:
- Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica
- Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico
- University Master’s degree awarded after a Laurea/Laurea Triennale
- University Master’s degree awarded after a Bachelor’s degree
Additional skills and qualifications
Given the highly competitive nature of the Italian Fellowships Programme the following are frequently considered important assets:
- previous work experience (including internships and voluntary work)
- knowledge of other UN official languages / languages spoken in developing countries
- additional academic qualifications and/or training courses
- 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.
Fields of Expertise
The professional competencies expected of Fellows may vary from year to year according to the specific requests from the recipient organizations. Fields of expertise include – but are not limited to – the following areas: governance and local development, rule of law, food security, agricultural development, water and sanitation, urban development, migration, humanitarian affairs, culture, education, social protection including disabilities and gender issues, child protection, information and communication technology, statistics and data management, private sector development, microcredit, economic development, communication for development.
Dates
Deadline: December 18, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
Conditions of Service
Junior Professional Officers sponsored by Italy are recruited as fixed-term staff by the recipient UN entities. Entry grade is at the P2 step 1 level of the professional category for organizations belonging to the United Nations System and at the equivalent grade (entry professional level) for other international organizations (OECD, IDLO, etc.), with the exception of the Inter-American Development Bank, which offers its Associate Professional Officers (APOs) an international consultancy contract.
A one-year contract is issued initially and is automatically renewed for a second year subject to a satisfactory performance appraisal. A third-year extension on a cost-sharing basis may be agreed upon by the donor and the requesting organization.
Contracts for Junior Professional Officers normally comprise the following: salary, medical insurance, life insurance, pension contributions, as well as allowances for travel, shipment, installment at the duty station and repatriation. These entitlements may vary between UN System entities and other international organizations.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
