The WTO Young Professionals Program (YPP) is now accepting applications. The World Trade Organization Young Professionals Program offers qualified young professionals a singular opportunity to advance their knowledge and expertise on WTO and global trade challenges.
The Program is offered for candidates from developing and least-developed country (LDC) WTO Members. It intends to enhance the number of professionals in these nations so they will be better able to compete for positions in the WTO and/or other regional and international organizations.
The Young Professionals Program is a one-of-a-kind program that allows selected young professionals to gain work experience at the World Trade Organization. There is no assurance of a program extension or a job offer after the one-year program. If you are not eligible for this program, you may be able to participate in the World Trade Organization Internship Program.
Program Specifications
- World Trade Organization (WTO), Switzerland is the host institution.
- Areas of Work: Accession, 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
- The number of available positions is not disclosed.
- Duration: One year with no option to extend.
- Temporary appointment is the contract kind.
- Please see the list below for the target audience.
Candidates chosen for the World Trade Organization Young Professionals Program will be paid CHF 4,000 per month (approximate).
The World Trade Organization’s recruitment policy is to attract and retain employees who meet the highest levels of competence, efficiency, and integrity. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, the WTO values both merit and diversity.
Eligible Countries
Priority shall be given to nationals from WTO Members without any representation as well as from developing and least developed countries (LDCs) Members with low representation (one, two, or three staff members) at the professional level in the Secretariat (mentioned below) (list below). Priority will be given to WTO Members from developing and LDC countries that do not have representation and have not participated in previous cohorts of the YPP (as indicated by an asterisk in the list below):
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola*, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam*, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde*, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic*, Chad*, Chile, the Republic of Congo*, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo*, Dji
The following countries are included in the list: Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau*, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong China, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao China, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova,
Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar*, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis*, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa*, Saudi Arabia*, Senegal, Seychelles*, Sierra Leone*, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname*, Chinese Taipei, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga*, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates*, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela*, Vietnam*, Yemen*, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
World Trade Organization Young Professionals Program Eligibility
Applicants must be nationals of WTO Member nations and meet the following conditions to apply for the WTO YPP program:
- Have a minimum age of 32 as of January 1, 2024.
- Possess a master’s degree in economics, econometrics, international relations, law, environmental studies, or other trade-related areas important to WTO work (e.g. international investment law, commerce, gender, etc.). By the time they submit their application, applicants must have earned their advanced university degree.
- General understanding of the WTO’s work.
- Excellent English drafting skills. It would be advantageous to be able to draw in French or Spanish.
- Ability to operate both independently and collaboratively.
- Exhibited a keen interest in international trade and the multilateral trading system.
- Commitment and interest in trade or WTO-related work.
- A minimum of two (2) years of professional experience relevant to WTO work is required.
- English fluency. A working knowledge of French or Spanish would be advantageous.
Application instructions
Qualified applicants who want to apply for this Europe chance program must first create an account and then follow the steps to submit their applications.
Note: All applications must be sent in English and include a cover letter of motivation indicating up to three areas of work that the applicant is interested in, in order of preference. Applications that do not include a letter of motivation will be rejected.
The deadline to submit your application is April 13, 2023. Please visit the official page for more information on the 2021 WTO Young Professionals Program.