Deadline: April 16, 2018
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is accepting applications for the Young Professionals Programme 2019. The WTO Young Professionals Programme is a unique opportunity for qualified young professionals from developing and least-developed countries to enhance their knowledge and skills on WTO and international trade issues.
The programme aims to attract professionals from under-represented countries who can consequently improve their chances of being recruited by the WTO and/or other regional and international organizations. The Programme is part of the Secretariat’s efforts to increase diversity and broaden the representation of the membership.
Duration
This is a limited programme that offers selected young professionals with the opportunity to gain work experience in the WTO. There is no guarantee of an extension of the programme or of a job offer after the one-year programme.
Functions
The selected Young Professional will be placed in a specific Division of the WTO Secretariat in accordance with the needs and priorities of the Organization; and based on the identified areas of interest of the Young Professional. Each Young Professional may express interest in not more than three areas of WTO work; and in order of preference.
The areas of work may include, inter alia, the following (in alphabetical order):
– Accessions
– Agriculture
– Council and Trade Negotiations
– Dispute Settlement
– Economic Research and Statistics
– Government Procurement
– Intellectual Property Rights
– Market Access (tariffs and non-tariff barriers)
– Media and external relations
– Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures
– Technical Barriers to Trade
– Trade and Development
– Trade and Environment
– Trade Facilitation
– Trade in Services and Investment
– Trade Policy Analysis
– Trade-Related Technical assistance.
– Trade Remedies (anti-dumping and counterveiling duties)
Eligibility
Open to young professionals up to the age of 32 years, as at 1 January 2019, from eligible developing and least-developed country (LDC) WTO Members.
A candidate must:
- be a national of a WTO member state
- have an advanced university degree in law, economics, and other international trade-related subjects relevant to WTO work
- have a minimum of two years’ relevant experience
- demonstrate a high level of interest in international trade and commitment to WTO-related work
- be fluent in English. A good working knowledge of one of the WTO’s other official languages, French or Spanish, would be an advantage
- be 32 years of age or younger at the expected start date of the YPP, if selected.
Preference is given to nationals from WTO members without any representation at the professional level in the Secretariat. The list of such WTO Members as at 1 March 2018 is set out below:
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Angola
- Bahrain, Kingdom of
- Belize
- Brunei Darussalam
- Burkina Faso
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Grenada
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong, China
- Israel
- Kuwait, the State of
- Kyrgyz Republic
- Lao People’s Democratic Republic
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Macao, China
- Maldives
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Moldova, Republic of
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Oman
- Papua New Guinea
- Qatar
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Samoa
- Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Tajikistan
- The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Tonga
- United Arab Emirates
- Vanuatu
- Yemen
Application
Only applications from nationals of WTO Members will be accepted.
All applications MUST be accompanied by a cover letter of motivation, which should indicate UP TO THREE areas of work (see details under General Functions), in order of preference, that the applicant would be interested in. Applications with no accompanying letter of motivation will not be considered.
For more information, visit WTO Young Professionals Programme.
