Italian JPO Programme: Call for applications, deadline 16 June 2025 - 15:00

The call for application to the Italian JPO Programme is open until 16 June 2025 at 15:00.

The Italian Junior Professional Officers Programme (JPO Programme) is an initiative that focuses on multilateral development cooperation sponsored by the Government of Italy and implemented by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA).
The Programme is developed in order to support international organizations by providing them with skilled personnel and to offer qualified young professionals the opportunity to gain experience, thereby improving their prospects for a career in international organizations or in the international field.
The Programme originated from a 1961 United Nations Economic and Social Council resolution. The resolution endorsed and promoted the involvement of volunteers, funded by their home countries, in development cooperation efforts.
Italy has taken part in the programme since the mid-1970's expanding its sponsorship beyond the UN Secretariat and related bodies to include the UN system entities, specialized agencies, and other international organizations with which the Italian government has specific agreements.
To date, Italy has sponsored over 1,960 Junior Professional Officers. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA), in agreement with the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), handles the dissemination of information, application management, and initial candidate assessment and short-listing for the Italian JPO Programme. Final candidate selection, however, remains the responsibility of the UN agencies and international organizations where the JPOs will be assigned.

Italian Fellowships Programme
The Fellowships Programme for Technical Cooperation Capacity Building and Human Resources Development targets funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and implemented by UN/DESA, provides one-year, hands-on experience in UN field offices for Italian post-graduate professionals seeking international development careers. It aims to both equip young professionals with practical skills and offer cost-free skilled personnel to UN organizations. Since its pilot in 1999, the program has expanded significantly, having supported 784 young Italians with an average of 34 fellowships annually. Participants attend a mandatory orientation workshop before their field placement.