Overview
The Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is an initiative to recruit talented and highly qualified professionals to start a career as an international civil servant at the United Nations Secretariat. It consists of an entrance exam and professional development programmes, once successful candidates start their career at the UN.
Details
What is the UN Young Professionals Programme?
- Initially, you will be appointed for two years and then reviewed for a continuous appointment.
- The organisation promotes mobility within and between jobs and working families.
- As a new recruit, you are expected to work at a different petrol station for your second assignment.
- You will be offered mobility guidance and training, as well as career support.
- This will help you adapt and speed up the learning period that leads to productive work and job satisfaction as an international civil servant.
Who we are
- The world looks to the United Nations for solutions to complex problems everywhere; from ending conflicts and alleviating poverty, to combating climate change and defending human rights. The topics on our agenda are many and diverse, as are the careers we offer. Among our ranks, you'll find staff who monitor elections, disarm child soldiers, coordinate relief in humanitarian crises and provide administrative and logistical support to fulfil our complex mandates. These are just a few examples among our many other equally critical and necessary functions.
- The wide variety of jobs means that you can change functions, departments, geographical locations and even organisations or fields of work throughout your career with the Organisation.
- The diversity of our staff, some 41,000 employees from our 193 member states, means that you will work in multicultural teams with people from all backgrounds and cultures who have broad perspectives, experiences, expectations as well as approaches.
- As an international civil servant, you are expected to maintain the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity in all matters affecting your work and status. Integrity includes probity, impartiality, fairness, honesty and truthfulness. Those we serve have the right to expect no less.
What we do
- The United Nations is an international organisation founded in 1945 and committed to maintaining international peace and security; developing friendly relations between nations; promoting social progress, better living conditions and human rights.
- Due to its unique international character and the powers conferred on it in its founding Charter, the Organisation acts on a wide range of issues and provides a forum for its 193 member states to express their views, through the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and committees.
- The work of the United Nations touches every corner of the world and focuses on a wide range of fundamental issues, such as sustainable development, protection of the environment and refugees, disaster relief and mitigation, combating terrorism, as well as disarmament and non-proliferation.
- In September 2015, world leaders met at the United Nations headquarters in New York and unanimously adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a new universal standard for development that will ensure that no one is left behind.
- 17 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent the cornerstone of the historic and transformative Agenda. Building on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs aim to go further to end all forms of poverty. Universal and indivisible, the SDGs call for action by all countries - developed, developing and middle-income - to promote prosperity while protecting the planet over the next fifteen years.
- The SDGs officially came into force on 1 January 2016. Governments, companies and civil society have begun to mobilise efforts to achieve the goals, aligning their priorities with the SDGs and adopting plans to achieve them.
Application process
Opportunity is about
Administration Agriculture, Biology & Animal Science Architecture & Construction Computers & IT Economics & Business Education Energy Environment History & Anthropology Human Rights International Affairs Languages Law Media, Marketing & PR Medicine, Nursing & Psychology Military & Security Politics Society
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Find the eligible countries from https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=NCE&lang=en-US
Description of Ideal Candidate
Who can apply?
The YPP examination is held once a year and is open to nationals of countries participating in the annual recruitment exercise. The list of participating countries is published annually and varies from year to year.
Basic application criteria:
- You must have the nationality of a participating country.
- You must hold at least a first-level university degree relevant for the exam subject you are applying for.
- You must be 32 or younger in the year of the examination.
- You must be fluent in either English or French.
Participation of staff of the United Nations
This examination is also held for staff members of the United Nations Secretariat who work within the General Service and other related categories and aspire to a career within the Professional and higher categories. For more information about staff members participating in the young professionals programme, click here.
Exam subjects
Depending on the staffing needs of the United Nations, candidates are invited to apply for different examination disciplines. The descriptions of responsibilities, expected competences and educational requirements differ depending on the area.
Deadline: Applications will be accepted until 29 June 2023 (closes at 11.59am New York time).
Cost/funding for participants
Fully financed
The United Nations offers you an attractive remuneration package with competitive salaries and benefits. The level of remuneration for internationally recruited staff in the professional and higher categories is set by reference to the best-paid national civil service. Staff in locally recruited categories are remunerated according to the best conditions of service prevailing locally. There is no fee for this procedure or application.
Log in on inspira.un.org to view and apply for vacancies.
Economic Affairs: vacancy #207015
Information Systems and Technology: vacancy #207005
Remember to watch application orientation video to find out more about the process. And a quick reminder that candidates can send an application to just one YPP job vacancy. Submission to multiple YPP exams will result in automatic disqualification.
For UN employees: please note that job vacancies for internal YPP candidates are only accessible through inspira, via "G to P" or "G to N" job vacancies, and are not available on the Careers Portal.
