The call for applications for 56 positions in the Italian Junior Professional Officers Programme is open. 11 positions are assigned to different entities of the United Nations Secretariat and 45 to 23 international organizations, for a total of 23 duty stations. 54 positions are reserved for candidates of Italian nationality. 2 positions are reserved for candidates from developing countries.
The job descriptions of the JPO positions for which candidates can apply are available on the website www.undesa.it.
The deadline for submitting applications to the 2025 round of the Italian JPO Programme is 16 June 2025 at 3 p.m. (Italy local time).
The Italian JPO Programme is a multilateral development cooperation initiative sponsored by the Government of Italy through the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and implemented by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA). It enables qualified Italian nationals and nationals of eligible developing countries to gain work experience with international organizations for a period of two years, with the possibility of a further one-year extension.
The purpose of the Programme is two-fold: a) to assist international organizations in carrying out their activities by providing them with gratis skilled personnel; b) to allow qualified young professionals seeking an international career to make a relevant experience that could broaden their chances of recruitment in international organizations or in the international field.
Interested candidates will need to access the dedicated online platform and, following the instructions, will be able to submit their application to the chosen position(s). Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions.
The general admission requirements for candidates holding the Italian nationality are the following:
- Born on or after 1 January 1994 (1 January 1993 for graduates in Medicine; 1 January 1991 for graduates in Medicine who have already been awarded a post-graduate medical specialization degree)
- Italian nationality
- Fluency in English and Italian (in all four areas: Read, Speak, Write, Understand)
- Advanced university degree awarded beforethe application deadline, such as:
- Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica
- Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico
- University Master’s degree awarded after a Laurea/Laurea Triennale
- University Master’s degree awarded after a Bachelor’s degree.
For admission to the Italy-funded JPO Programme candidates from developing countries must meet the following general requirements:
- Hold the nationality of one of the developing countries eligible for the position[1]
- Born on or after 1 January 1994 (1 January 1993 for graduates in Medicine; 1 January 1991 for graduates in Medicine who have already been awarded a post-graduate medical specialization degree)
- Fluency in English (in all four areas: Read, Speak, Write, Understand)
- Advanced university degree awarded beforethe application deadline, such as:
- Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica
- Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico
- University Master’s degree awarded after a Laurea/Laurea Triennale
- University Master’s degree awarded after a Bachelor’s degree.
Both for candidates of Italian nationality and candidates of foreign nationality admitted to the Programme, the specific requirements for each position – such as years of professional experience, additional languages, specific academic qualifications or training, required competencies, etc. – are indicated in job descriptions posted online.
Interested candidates are encouraged to read carefully the How to Apply webpage before starting the application process.
Applications to the Programme can only be submitted online through the Online Web Application tool (OWA) of the UN/DESA Office in Rome. Applications submitted through other channels will not be taken into consideration.
For additional information, please consult the relevant webpages on www.undesa.it or email the UN/DESA Office in Rome at JPOinfo@undesa.it.
List of JPO positions
| Organization | Assignment | Duty station |
| Alliance Bioversity & CIAT | Research Officer, Food Environment and Consumer Behavior (FECB) | Rome (Italy) |
| Partnerships Officer | Dakar (Senegal) | |
| CIHEAM-IAMB | Procurement and Financial Officer | Bari (Italy) |
| Technical Secretariat Officer, Development and Planning Area | Bari (Italy) | |
| Water Resources Management Officer | Bari (Italy) | |
| Programme Officer for TANIT Programme (Tunisia), Development and Planning Area | Tunis (Tunisia) | |
| FAO | Agricultural Economist | Algiers (Algeria) |
| JPO in Food Loss and Waste, Food Systems and Food Safety Division | Rome (Italy) | |
| JPO in Environment and Climate Finance, Office of the Director, FAO Investment Centre | Rome (Italy) | |
| IAEA | Associate HR Data Analytics Officer, Human Resources Development Section, Division of Human Resources | Vienna (Austria) |
| Associate Project Officer, Department of Technical Cooperation, Division for Africa | Vienna (Austria) | |
| ICCROM | JPO in Programme Development | Rome (Italy) |
| ICO | JPO in Technical Cooperation, Operations Division | London (UK) |
| IDLO | Reporting Analyst, Programmes Management Office | Rome (Italy) |
| IFAD | Technical Analyst (Environment and Climate) | Cairo (Egypt) |
| Procurement Analyst, Procurement and Financial Management Division | Rome (Italy) | |
| Programme Analyst, Department of Country Operations, East and Southern Africa Division | Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) | |
| ILO | JPO in the Promotion of Employment and Resource Mobilization | Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) |
| JPO in the Rural Economy Sectors, Sectoral Policies Department | Geneva (Switzerland) | |
| IOM | Migration Health Policy Officer | Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) |
| Regional Liaison and Policy Support Officer, Regional Office | Dakar (Senegal) | |
| Programme Officer (Protection) | Tunis (Tunisia) | |
| ISA | Associate Legal Officer (Regulatory Affairs) | Kingston (Jamaica) |
| ITC | JPO in Regional Integration, Division of Country Programme/ Office for Africa | Geneva (Switzerland) |
| OECD | Junior Policy Analyst, Development Co-operation Directorate Financing for Sustainable Development Division, DCD/FSD | Paris (France) |
| JPO, Development Co-operation Directorate, Community of Practice on Private Finance for Sustainable Development (CoP-PF4SD) | Paris (France) | |
| OHCHR | JPO in Human Rights, Central Africa Regional Office | Yaoundè (Cameroon) |
| UN/DESA | JPO in Economic Affairs, Financing for Sustainable Development Office, Strategic Engagement and Policy Integration Branch | New York (USA) |
| UN/ECE | JPO in Green Cities, Environmental Affairs, Division for Forests, Land and Housing | Geneva (Switzerland) |
| UN/HABITAT | *Associate Human Settlement Officer, SDG Localization and Local Governments Team, Urban Practices Branch, Global Solutions Division | Nairobi (Kenya) |
| JPO in the Policy Legislation and Governance Section, Urban Practices Branch, Global Solutions Division | Nairobi (Kenya) | |
| UN/OCHA | JPO in Humanitarian Affairs (Coordination), Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa / Coordination Unit | Cairo (Egypt) |
| * JPO in Humanitarian Affairs, Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (ROSEA), Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit | Nairobi (Kenya) | |
| UN/OOSA | JPO in Programme Administration, Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section | Vienna (Austria) |
| UNDP | Digital Transformation Programme Analyst | Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) |
| Digital Transformation Programme Analyst | Maputo (Mozambique) | |
| Programme Analyst, Governance, Digital flagship | Dakar (Senegal) | |
| UNDRR | JPO in Disaster Risk Reduction – EU and Western Balkans | Bruxelles (Belgium) |
| UNEP | Associate Programme Officer, Climate Finance, Adaptation and Resilience Branch, Climate Division | Nairobi (Kenya) |
| UNESCO | JPO in the Education Support Programme | Maputo (Mozambique) |
| UNHCR | Associate Donor Relations Officer | Cairo (Egypt) |
| Associate Communications Officer | Chisinau (Moldova) | |
| UNICEF | Social Policy Officer (Public Finance for Children) | ( T.B.D.) |
| WASH and Climate Officer | Tunis (Tunisia) | |
| UNICRI | JPO in Research and Programme Development | Turin (Italy) |
| UNIDO | JPO in the Directorate of Strategic Planning, Programming and Policy (SPP), Division of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (GEW) | Vienna (Austria) |
| JPO in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO), Division of Regional Bureaus and Field Offices (RFO) | Vienna (Austria) | |
| JPO in the Division of Regional Bureaus and Field Offices, Arab Regional Coordination Bureau | Tunis (Tunisia) | |
| UNODC | JPO in Crime Prevention (Maritime Crime), Division of Operations / Border Management Branch / Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP) | Tunis (Tunisia) |
| UNOPS | Partnerships Officer, Partnerships and Liaison Group, Brussels Liaison Office | Bruxelles (Belgium) |
| Sustainable Procurement Analyst, Procurement Group, Management & Policy | Copenhagen (Denmark) | |
| UNRCO | JPO in Political Analysis | Algiers (Algeria) |
| JPO in Coordination | Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) | |
| WFP | Humanitarian Programme Officer, Emergency Preparedness and Response Service, Programme Policy and Guidance Division | Rome (Italy) |
| Social Protection Programme Officer, Social Protection Unit School Meals and Social Protection Service | Rome (Italy) | |
| World Bank | JPO in the Infrastructure Group, Western & Central Africa Energy (IAWE2), Western & Central Africa Vice Presidency (AFWVP) | Washington DC (USA) |
* Position reserved for candidates from developing countries
[1] Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan , Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia.