The United Nations Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme recruits Junior Professional Officers for the UN Secretariat and associated entities under bilateral agreements between the UN and donor countries. JPO positions are generally at the P2 level, and P2 is a UN salary level. The main objective of the JPO Programme is to provide young professionals with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field of multilateral international cooperation through a learning experience under the supervision of specialists. Our guide on paid internships abroad covers earlier steps in an international career.
Last updated: November 2026.
Who can apply for the JPO Programme?
The JPO Programme is for young professionals, usually with an advanced university degree and minimum two years of professional experience.
🎂 Age at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA): while there is no general age limit, many donor countries require applicants to be under the age of 32 when applying to their JPO Programme, and the age limit varies depending on the donor countries.
🎂 Age at the UNDP JPO Service Centre: the UNDP JPO Service Centre lists "Usually be under 32 years of age for JPO positions". At UNHCR, most JPOs are between ages 25 and 35, depending on donor country policy.
🎓 Degree and experience at UN DESA: candidates should have at least a Master's degree (or equivalent combination of a degree and work experience) and a minimum of two years of relevant professional experience or a Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 4 years of work experience acquired after the first-level university degree.
🎓 Degree and experience at UNHCR: a degree equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree or a Master's Degree in a field relevant to the functions requested in the job description, and at least two to four years of relevant work experience (two years with a Master Degree or higher, or four years with a Bachelor Degree).
🎓 Degree and experience at the UNDP JPO Service Centre: a Master's degree (or equivalent) in a development-related discipline and a minimum of two years of paid working experience in a relevant field, preferably in a developing country.
🗣️ Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, and depending on the duty station, excellent oral and written English or French is essential. A "duty station" means the country, or area within commuting distance, where the staff member is serving. The UNDP JPO Service Centre lists written and spoken proficiency in English.
🧩 Other minimum requirements at the UNDP JPO Service Centre: excellent information technology skills, including word-processing, database applications, presentation software. You also need a demonstrated ability to think strategically, to express ideas clearly, to work independently and in teams, and to demonstrate a sense of self-assuredness combined with cultural and gender sensitivity. You also need a strong commitment to development, an interest in adapting to varied physical and professional environments, and a desire to work with people with different language, national and cultural backgrounds. You also need respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and the participating UN organizations Mission Statements.
Our guide on what separates a traineeship from a fellowship explains the words you will see in the offers.
Is the JPO Programme open to your nationality?
JPOs are generally nationals of donor countries; however, some donors also finance nationals of developing countries. Only a limited number of donor countries is currently participating in the programme and their nationals are eligible to apply to the UN JPO Programme. If you are a national of one of the participating donor governments, consult the JPO Programme website at the national level, often advertised through the respective Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The current partner countries, which have a valid bilateral agreement with the United Nations for participation in the UN JPO Programme, are listed under Current Partner Countries. The sources differ on which donors also sponsor nationals of developing countries:
📌 UN DESA: currently only selected donors (the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Switzerland) are also sponsoring developing country candidates.
📌 UNDP JPO Service Centre: Belgium, Italy, The Netherlands and Sweden also sponsor vacancies for nationals of developing countries.
📌 UNHCR: the Netherlands may also sponsor citizens of other countries under the Developing Countries Scheme.
Our guide on opportunities for young people outside the EU covers other routes for non-EU applicants.
How do you apply for the JPO Programme?
Applications for the JPO Programme should be submitted directly to the sponsoring donor governments.
📝 Where to apply: interested candidates can access the JPO vacancy announcements on the respective country Ministry of Foreign Affairs websites or on the Junior Professional Officer Programme website. United Nations departments do not take direct applications. There is a direct application procedure to the UN only for positions administered by UN DESA which are sponsored by the government of the Netherlands.
🔍 Short-list: in most cases, the respective donor governments carry out the preliminary assessment of candidacies and take into account language skills, academic background and professional experience. The donor government then submits a short-list to the United Nations for further processing.
🎙️ Interview: only short-listed candidates will be interviewed directly by the representatives of the various United Nations departments. The final selection is made by the receiving UN Office based on competency-based interviews.
⏳ Onboarding: onboarding of JPOs takes on average 2-3 months from the date of selection of the successful candidate.
Deadlines vary from vacancy to vacancy. Our guide on the EU Blue Book Traineeship covers a paid traineeship at the European Commission.
How long does a JPO assignment last and who pays for it?
JPO assignments are foreseen for a minimum duration of 2 years. The appointment is initially for a period of one year, with a possibility of an extension, depending on the performance and available funding from donor countries. A few donors sponsor assignments of up to 3 or 4 years. At UNHCR, most JPO assignments last from two to three years. Donors cover all direct staffing costs for JPO placements. At UNICEF, JPOs are fixed-term UNICEF staff members and receive the same entitlements as other International Professional staff, except where specified in the JPO Agreement with each specific donor and in UNICEF's JPO policy. Our guide on paid internships abroad covers paid options at an earlier stage.
Where do Junior Professional Officers work?
UN DESA recruits and administers JPOs for the United Nations Secretariat (Headquarters and Field offices, including Peacekeeping Operations, Special Political Missions and Resident Coordinator Offices), Regional Commissions, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), among other entities.
🏢 UNDP JPO Service Centre: the UNDP JPO Service Centre administers JPO Programmes (in full or in part) of UN organizations, funds and offices including UNHCR, UN Women, UNAIDS, UNDP and UNFPA.
🏢 UNICEF: the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme provides young professionals interested in pursuing a career in international development with an exceptional opportunity to acquire hands-on experience at UNICEF.
🏢 UNHCR: UNHCR manages around 60 JPOs yearly sponsored by 15 Governments.
📊 Young Talent: as of August 1st, 2025, the JPO Service Centre administers 198 Young Talent, and JPOs and participants in the Specialist Development Programme (SDP) are deployed in 59 Duty Stations worldwide.
Our guide on the Schuman Traineeship covers a paid traineeship at the European Parliament.
Does a JPO assignment lead to a permanent UN job?
There is no expectation of being selected for a regular staff position, and JPOs may apply for such positions as any other external candidate and go through the regular competitive selection process of the UN. Upon completion of their United Nations contracts, the great majority of the JPOs pursue careers on the international level, and one half continues to work for International Organizations, although there is no automatic transfer to regular staff positions. At UNICEF, on average, one in two JPOs continue at UNICEF as regular staff members, upon completing their assignment. Our guide on fellowship vs internship vs traineeship compares the early-career options.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay a fee to apply?
No: the United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or training). Fraudulent emails and forged documents are being circulated, and such emails and documents do not originate from the United Nations. Our guide on fellowship vs internship vs traineeship compares the early-career options.
How do I prepare a UNDP JPO application?
For a UNDP JPO application, it is a good idea to plan ahead and type out some of your answers in a separate document. In the Personal History Form (P11), clearly indicate whether the work was full-time or part-time, clearly specify unpaid volunteer positions and internships as such, and include a detailed description of the main responsibilities and tasks you carried out during each period of employment. You are expected to write a separate and relevant cover letter for each position for which you are applying, in the language indicated beside the respective vacancy notice. Our guide on how to prepare your Europass CV takes you through the CV.
Where can you go from here?
Our guide on paid internships abroad covers paid options at an earlier stage. Our guide on fellowship vs internship vs traineeship compares the three words. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
