United Nations Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Scheme 2024

The UN JPO Programme recruits Junior Professional Officers (formerly known as Associate Experts) for the UN Secretariat and associated entities. JPOs are recruited under bilateral agreements between the UN and donor countries. JPOs are generally nationals of donor countries, however some donors also finance nationals of developing countries. Candidates are young professionals, usually with an advanced university degree and minimum two years of professional experience. JPO positions are generally at the P2 level.

The number of sponsored positions varies from year to year and by donor country. The assignment is intended for a minimum duration of 2 years. Initially JPOs are granted a one-year appointment which is renewal for a 2nd year, with the agreement of the donor country, and on the basis of good performance. There is no expectation of being selected for a regular staff position; JPOs may apply for such positions as any other external candidate and go through the regular competitive selection process of the UN.

Developing Countries Candidates (DCC) Trust Fund 

Despite the JPO Programme’s importance, only a small percentage of JPOs come from developing countries, limiting the diversity of perspectives the UN needs to address global challenges. Over the last decade, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), together with other UN organizations and sponsoring Member States, have taken important steps to address this situation. 

The following two positions are open in the context of the Developing Country Candidates (DCC) Trust Fund: 

• JPO in Investigations
  International Criminal Court (ICC) Unified Teams, Prosecution Pillars, Office of the Prosecutor, The Hague, Netherlands. 
  ICC JPO in Investigations, The Hague
   
• JPO in Policy Analysis
  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bureau for Programme and Policy Support (BPPS), Governance Team,
  New York, USA
  UNDP JPO in Policy Analysis, New York

Candidates must hold the nationality of one of the following eligible countries: 

Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia.

Candidates must but be born on or after 01/01/1991 to be eligible for the position.

Education:

• An advanced university degree (e.g. Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in in Law, Criminology or other related fields, for example in Human Rights, Psychology, or Journalism, is required. A firstlevel university degree (e.g. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience gained after the first-level university degree is accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

• A diploma in criminal investigation from a law enforcement academy and/or relevant training in crime investigation techniques combined with eight years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a university degree.

Working experience:

• A minimum of one year (three years with a first level university degree) of professional experience gained after the first qualifying university degree in either criminal investigations, investigations of serious human rights violations, financial investigations or investigative analysis, with a special focus on complex, large-scale cases, is required; Or same level of professional experience working with NGO’s/IGO’s/International Commissions of Enquiry, with a special focus on complex, large-scale cases, is required;

Languages:

• Proficiency in one of the working languages of the Court, English or French, is required. Working knowledge of the other is considered a strong asset. Knowledge of another official language the Court (Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Spanish) would be considered an asset. Proficiency in Ukrainian or Hebrew is highly desirable.

Selection Criteria:

• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted thereafter. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a competency-based interview. 

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the United Nations Junior Professional Officer  (UN JPO) Programme