Yes, you are eligible and you will be considered an Italian applicant. If pre-selected, you will be required to submit a copy of a valid Italian passport. If selected, you will be recruited as Italian national.
It depends on your nationality/nationalities. When Italy decides to assign positions to developing country candidates, the list of the eligible developing countries is specified for each position assigned to non-Italian candidates.
You can apply for a maximum of two JPO positions.
No, candidates holding only a Laurea triennale are not eligible for the Programme. They must also hold a Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica or a University Master’s Degree awarded by a University before the application deadline.
No, candidates holding only a Bachelor’s degree are not eligible for the Programme. They must also hold a Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica or a Univeristy Master’s Degree before the application deadline.
Candidates must submit copy of the relevant university certificate attesting eligibility to the JPO Programme. These certificates do not need to be translated from their original language.
As an alternative to a degree certificate, Italian candidates and candidates from eligible developing countries residing in Italy may upload a signed self-certification document (autocertificazione) provided that the degree has been awarded by an Italian university. This self-certification must include: given name and family name, date and place of birth, university degree obtained, date of award, name of the Italian university, final grade and credits obtained. In order to be valid, this self-certification must be dated and signed (N.B. handwritten signature only). Self-certification documents which have a computer keyboard-generated signature, are unsigned or otherwise incomplete, will not be accepted.
Candidates who have graduated from non-Italian universities cannot submit a self-certification document and must submit a copy of the degree awarded.
The Programme has run on a regular basis since mid 1970s. It is sponsored by the Government of Italy and implemented by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA). However, as it is subject to availability of funds on a year-to-year basis, the number of posts being sponsored in international organizations may vary each year.
Through its Permanent Representations and Embassies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) of Italy requests international organizations to submit vacant JPO positions for its consideration. These positions and relative job descriptions are transmitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for review, selection and funding approval.
In addition to the contents of this website, information on the Programme can be obtained by contacting the UN/DESA Office in Rome by phone at (+39) 06 5705 4638 and by e-mail at jpoinfo[at]undesa.it
To be eligible for the 2025/2026 edition of the Programme, candidates must be born on or after 1 January 1995 (1 January 1994 for graduates in Medicine; 1 January 1992 for graduates in Medicine who have already been awarded a post-graduate medical specialization degree).
Italian candidates must have an excellent knowledge of English and Italian in all four areas: Read, Speak, Write, Understand. Candidates from developing countries must have an excellent knowledge of English in all four areas: Read, Speak, Write, Understand to be eligible for the Italian JPO Programme. Additional language requirements are indicated in each of the Job Descriptions posted online during the call for applications.
The following table shows the number of candidates who were preselected in the last 11 editions (from 2013/2014 and 2023/2024).
The number of JPOs recruited every year varies according to the number of posts sponsored by Italy in a given year.
The following graph shows the number of JPOs recruited in the last 12 editions (from 2013/2014 and 2024/2025).
The following graph shows the average age of JPOs recruited in the last 11 editions (from 2013/2014 and 2023/2024).
The graph below contains consolidated data from the past 20 editions of the Programme and indicates the percentage of candidates preselected for interview on their first, second, third attempt, etc. Bear in mind also that the JPO profiles and host Organizations change from one edition to the next.
The large volume of applications makes it difficult for the office to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful candidates. Only short-listed applicants will be informed by UN/DESA about the positive outcome of the pre-selection process.
You will be able to check the preselection status of a specific position on this website
Under this Programme, you will be offered a one-year fixed-term contract renewable for a second year by the organization which has selected you through the interview process (the usual length of assignment is two years). The second-year extension is subject to a performance review during the first year.
Entry grade is at the P2 step 1 level of the professional category for organizations belonging to the United Nations System and at the equivalent grade (entry professional level) for other international organizations (OECD, IDLO, etc.), with the exception of the Inter-American Development Bank, which offers its Associate Professional Officers (APOs) an international consultancy contract.
The assessment of candidates is carried out by the UN/DESA Office in Rome and takes into consideration factors such as motivation, language skills, academic background, professional and volunteering experience vis-à-vis the specific requirements of the position(s) for which candidates have applied. A UN Commission will undertake the final assessment and determine the list of pre-selected candidates for interview. Interviews and written tests will be carried out by the international organizations. They are solely responsible for identifying the final selected candidate.
Pre-selected candidates will be interviewed by representatives of the various international organizations. These candidates will be interviewed remotely via web-based video conference facilities. Interviews may take place between June and early September. Once the interview process is finalized, international organizations notify UN/DESA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. All candidates will be informed by UN/DESA of their interview outcome.
Prior to departure, all selected candidates must participate in a mandatory induction course organized by the United Nations System Staff College. They will be joined by selected candidates from the JPO Programmes funded by other donor countries. All expenditures related to the induction course attendance will be borne by the Italian JPO Programme.
Yes, it is possible. In this case you will be invited to participate in the final selection phase for both positions.
Yes, you can submit your application. However, it must be kept in mind that the assessment of the candidates’ profile takes into consideration all the specific requirements of the position(s).
For some positions, the fluency in a specific language, other than English, is a requirement. If you do not satisfy this requirement, you should not submit your application.
If a specific language is an asset for the position, or it is desirable, you could submit your application even if you do not have the knowledge of this language, or you are not fluent. However, it must be kept in mind that the assessment of the candidates’ profile takes into consideration all the specific requirements indicated in the Job Descriptions, including the knowledge of the desirable languages.
Some of the reasons could be: Forgetting to list the language(s) and level required by the Italian JPO Programme (i.e. Italian for Italian nationals, English for all applicants in all four areas – read, write, speak, understand). Not uploading the advanced university degree certificate. Submitting the wrong university degree certificate. Submitting an incomplete or unsigned self-certification document. Submitting a self-certification document for a university degree not obtained in Italy. Submitting an application not filled out in English, or partially filled out in English. Uploading an incomplete application (including Motivation letter).
Individuals who are currently or have previously served as JPOs—whether sponsored by Italy or by another donor country under a different nationality—are not eligible to apply to the Italian JPO Programme.
Yes, you can submit an email to info@undesa.it. However, we strongly encourage candidates to submit their applications well before the deadline. Due to the expected high volume of submissions in the final hours, technical assistance may be limited and cannot be guaranteed close to the cutoff time.
You can find information on the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) website. ICSC publishes the consolidated hardship classifications lists, the updated list of the non-family duty stations, as well as the lists of duty stations with rest and recuperation and danger pay.