The Associate Experts and Junior Professional Officers Programme – also known as the JPO Programme - stems from Resolution 849 (XXXII) of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted in 1961, which approved and encouraged the collaboration of volunteer personnel, funded by their respective countries of origin, in development cooperation initiatives and programmes.

The purpose of the Programme is two-fold: on the one hand, it aims to assist international organizations in their cooperation activities by providing them with the services of qualified junior professionals in development initiatives; on the other, it allows young individuals wishing to pursue an international career the opportunity to gain important work experience that may lead to future career development within the organizations or in other segments of the international field.

In accordance with the principles set by the ECOSOC resolution, Italy established its own JPO Programme in the early 1970s and over the years extended its sponsorship from the United Nations Secretariat to Specialized Agencies and other regional and financial organizations outside the UN system. Today, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can count upon 26 bilateral agreements which have made it possible to sponsor 1,597 Associate Experts and Junior Professional Officers, 58 of whom from developing countries. 46% of the Italy-sponsored JPOs have been women and 63% have been assigned to work in developing countries, the majority of which in Africa (56%).

The ten organizations of the UN system to have benefited most from the Italy-funded JPO programme include: the UN Secretariat and its articulation of Offices and Departments (Political Affairs, Economic and Social Affairs, Peacekeeping Operations, and Humanitarian Affairs), Regional Commissions and specialized Bodies (High Commissioner for Human Rights – OHCHR, UN Conference on Trade and Development – UNCTAD, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime – UNODC); the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the World Health Organization (WHO); the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the World Food Programme (WFP).

During its 40 years of activity, the Italian JPO Programme has become one of the most relevant and strategically significant initiatives of the General Directorate for Development Cooperation, playing a pivotal role in raising the profile of Italian human resources at the international level. At the end of their assignment, more than 70% of JPOs found a fixed-term position in international organizations; and, in the long period, over 60% found a more stable contractual arrangement. At various levels, and in the independent exercise of their functions, they currently represent Italy in hundreds of international organizations, including in senior executive positions. The majority of former JPOs who did not continue working for international organizations – either because of personal reasons or due to career development opportunities elsewhere – still deal with development issues or international affairs in public, private or non-governmental institutions and organizations.

Such a result has been possible thanks to the quality and talent of the candidates selected, all of whom have successfully participated in a highly competitive Programme, for which Italy draws upon the expertise of the United Nations during both the selection phase and the subsequent training period. In fact, besides having the highest number of applications to the JPO Programme among donor countries, Italy has established a rigorous process for the identification of sponsored positions and for the selection of candidates that see the participation of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA) and of the recipient organizations. Furthermore, all JPOs undertake a training period at the United Nations System Staff College (UNSCC) in Turin prior to taking up their assignments.

Over the years, the JPO programme has contributed significantly to strengthening the collaboration between Italy and the United Nations, bearing testimony to the importance with which it is held by each of the stakeholders: by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which through contributions to multilateral cooperation initiatives has fostered the junior officers’ professional growth; by international organizations, which have made good use of a significant contribution in human resources terms in order to achieve common development goals while maximizing the best talents working in their respective fields;  and lastly, by the participants, who have gained a unique and seminal experience in terms of individual training and professional growth.

The above considerations reinforce Italy’s belief in the importance of the JPO Programme both as an instrument for development cooperation and training, and for strengthening dialogue with the United Nations System and international organizations.