The WTO Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a good opportunity for all qualified young professionals up to 32 years of age, as of January 1, 2025, who are from WTO Member countries with limited or no professional representation within the WTO Secretariat. The program is designed to help participants understand the affairs and expertise of WTO in international trade matters.
World Trade Organization Young Professionals Programme
Its objective is to expand the pool of professionals from these WTO Members and increase their presence within the WTO and/or other regional and international bodies.
Before you apply, kindly note that all applications must be submitted in English, along with a letter of motivation indicating up to three preferred areas of work. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. This program is an opportunity for selected young professionals to acquire work experience at the WTO for one year. It has no option for extension.
General Functions
Each selected Young Professional will be assigned to a specific Division of the WTO Secretariat according to the organization’s needs and priorities, and based on the Young Professional’s stated areas of interest. As an applicant, you can express interest in up to three areas of WTO work, in order of preference.
These areas of work may include, among others:
- Accessions
- Agriculture
- Climate change
- Communications and External Relations
- Competition Policy
- Council and Trade Negotiations
- Digital Trade
- Dispute Settlement
- Economic Research and Statistics
- Government Procurement
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Investment Facilitation for Development
- Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs)
- Market Access (tariffs and non-tariff barriers)
- Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures
- Technical Barriers to Trade
- Trade and Development
- Trade and Environment
- Trade Facilitation
- Trade Finance
- Trade and Gender
- Trade in Services and Investment
- Trade Policy Analysis
- Trade-Related Technical Assistance
- Trade Remedies (anti-dumping and countervailing duties)
Required Qualification
To qualify, you need to meet the following application requirements:
- Education: Advanced university degree in economics, econometrics, international relations, law, environmental studies, or other trade-related subjects pertinent to WTO activities (e.g., international investment law, trade and gender, etc.). You must hold your advanced university degree at the time of application submission.
- Knowledge and Skills: You need to have a general understanding of WTO operations. Technical expertise in one or more of the specified areas of work.
- Proficiency in drafting documents in English; proficiency in French and/or Spanish is advantageous.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multicultural setting.
- Demonstrated keen interest in international trade and the multilateral trading system. Dedication and enthusiasm for trade-related work or the WTO.
- Work Experience: You need a minimum of two (2) years of professional experience relevant to WTO operations.
- Languages: You have to be fluent in English; working knowledge of French or Spanish is beneficial.
WTO will give preference to applicants from WTO Members who lack representation, especially from developing and least developed countries (LDCs) with minimal representation (up to three staff members) at the professional level within the Secretariat. Priority will be accorded to WTO Members from developing and LDCs with no representation and no prior participation in YPP cohorts (marked with an asterisk in the list below).
You are only allowed to apply if you are from any of the following WTO Member nations:
Afghanistan, Albania, Angola*, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Botswana*, Brunei Darussalam*, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde*, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic*, Chad*, Chile, Congo*, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo*, Djibouti*, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon*, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada*, 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, Mongolia, Republic of Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar*, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger*, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, 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, Viet Nam, Yemen*, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. WTO will communicate with you through various channels such as video or teleconference for your assessments and evaluations. You will undergo various forms of testing, interviews, and reference checks.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is April 2, 2024.
How to Apply
To apply, click here. You can also click here for more information.
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