The UN Junior Professional Officers (JPO) Programme recruits individuals for positions within the UN Secretariat and related entities. These Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) are chosen through bilateral agreements established between the UN and donor countries. While JPOs are typically nationals of donor countries, funding from some donors also supports candidates from developing nations. Ideal candidates are young professionals with at least two years of professional experience and usually hold an advanced university degree. JPO roles are typically at the P2 level.
The number of sponsored positions can vary annually and by donor country. JPO assignments are initially for a minimum of two years, with an initial one-year appointment that can be renewed for a second year based on performance and donor agreement. JPOs do not have an expectation of transitioning into regular staff positions but may apply for such roles through the standard UN competitive selection process.
Despite the importance of the program, only a small number of Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) come from developing countries, which restricts the diversity of viewpoints needed to tackle global challenges. In response, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), in collaboration with other UN agencies and sponsoring member states, has undertaken measures to rectify this disparity.
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Two positions are currently available through the Developing Country Candidates (DCC) Trust Fund:
- Junior Professional Officer (JPO) in Investigations stationed at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Unified Teams within the Prosecution Pillars, Office of the Prosecutor, located in The Hague, Netherlands.
- JPO in Policy Analysis at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bureau for Programme and Policy Support (BPPS), Governance Team, New York, USA.
Candidates must be nationals of eligible countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Yemen, and Zambia.
Applicants must have been born on or after January 1, 1991, to be eligible for these positions.
Education:
- A Master’s degree or equivalent in fields such as Law, Criminology, or related disciplines like Human Rights, Psychology, or Journalism, is necessary. Alternatively, a Bachelor’s degree combined with two additional years of relevant experience following the first-level degree may be accepted.
- Alternatively, a diploma in criminal investigation from a law enforcement academy, along with relevant training in crime investigation techniques, plus eight years of applicable experience, could substitute for a university degree.
Working experience:
- A minimum of one year (or three years with a Bachelor’s degree) of professional experience post-qualification in areas such as criminal investigations, probing serious human rights violations, financial investigations, or investigative analysis, with a focus on intricate, large-scale cases, is mandatory. Similarly, equivalent professional experience with NGOs, IGOs, or International Commissions of Inquiry, particularly dealing with complex, large-scale cases, is also acceptable.
Languages:
- Fluency in either English or French, the working languages of the Court, is essential, with proficiency in the other language considered advantageous. Knowledge of another official language of the Court (Russian, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish) would be beneficial. Fluency in Ukrainian or Hebrew is strongly preferred..
Selection Criteria:
- Only candidates who are shortlisted will be contacted for further communication. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to participate in a competency-based interview.
Method of Application:
For additional details,
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024.
