Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Do you think that only International Relations students and young professionals have a chance of getting a job at the United Nations? Do you believe you’re not supposed to have a rewarding international experience in your field?
In this article, you will discover why, if you think these things, you are – fortunately – wrong!
The United Nations system has a complex structure composed of many agencies, funds, and programs, each with departments and offices in every corner of the world. In these UN agencies, there are many opportunities for law professionals.
In pursuit of its mission, the OpenIGO network has prepared a comprehensive eBook and support and guidance services, with the aim of highly increasing your chances of success in these competitive processes. These services include revising your UN application documents (curriculum vitae/resume and cover letter) and a mock interview, as per the United Nations model.
As you go through the chapters of the eBook, “UN Careers for Law Professionals”, you will discover what the competencies, requirements, and most common tasks performed by law professionals at the UN are. Moreover, we will bring you updated information about the agencies offering the greatest number of internships and job opportunities, as well the most common countries and positions by grade level.
For more info, access:
UN Law Careers – Products & Services
Among the possibilities of becoming a United Nations staff member, there are opportunities for young professionals that are different from general internship programs – which do not require previous experience. Usually, these opportunities are aimed at individuals who are under 32 years of age, have 1 or 2 years of experience in relevant work, and are nationals of a member/donor country of the specific UN System organization.
Here, we will present a brief explanation of legal opportunities at the UN, focusing on the UN JPO Program and the UN Fellowship Program. It’s just a small sample of all the information covered by our eBook. Get a copy today!
UN JPO Program for Law Professionals
The Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Program provides young professionals interested in pursuing a career in international development with an exceptional opportunity to acquire hands-on experience at a UN System organization.
Through the UN JPO Program, UN System agencies support the development of young professionals interested in growing in the organization and making important contributions to its work. Moreover, some individuals continue at the organization as regular staff members, upon completing their assignment.
Generally, the UN JPO program is sponsored by donor governments or universities. Usually, the donors only sponsor citizens of their countries, but in some cases, nationals from developing countries are also eligible to apply.
Junior professionals are fixed-term UN staff members and are, therefore, entitled to compensation, benefits and allowances comparable to International Professional staff.
In addition, these professionals might receive a number of tailored resources to improve their overall career development and learning journey, including professional coaching, mentoring programs, career counseling, online courses and more.
It is also crucial to know the requirements, so here are the basic eligibility criteria that candidates must meet in order to apply for the UN JPO program:
- Be 32 years old or younger. The minimum age, in order to be eligible to apply, is 18 years old.
- Fluency in English
- National of a donor country of the specific UN organization
- Minimum two years of relevant work experience
- Advanced degree in law-related studies
UN Fellowship Program for Law Professionals
Similar to the UN JPO program, the UN Fellowship Program also provides young professionals interested in pursuing a career in international development with a great opportunity to acquire hands-on experience at a UN System organization.
Through the UN Fellowship program, UN System agencies support the development of young professionals interested in growing in the organization and making important contributions to its work. Moreover, some individuals continue at the organization as regular staff members, upon completing their assignment.
As is the case with the UN JPO program, the UN Fellowship program is sponsored by donor governments or universities. Usually, the donors only sponsor citizens of their countries, but in some cases, nationals from developing countries are also eligible to apply.
It is also crucial to know the requirements, so here are the basic eligibility criteria that candidates must meet in order to apply for the UN Fellowship program:
- Be 32 years old or younger. The minimum age, in order to be eligible to apply, is 18 years old.
- Fluency in English
- National of a donor country of the specific UN organization
- Minimum two years of relevant work experience
- Advanced degree in law-related studies
The following table presents UN JPO Program and UN Fellowship program for legal professionals in the UN System:
|
Organization |
Requirements |
Website |
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International Criminal Court – JPO |
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International Court of Justice – Judicial Fellows Program |
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International Labor Organization – JPO |
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UNICEF – JPO |
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JPO Service Centre – UN Women, UNRWA and IOM |
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Special Tribunal for Lebanon – JPO |
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Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – JPO |
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By having access to this information and much more from our eBook, you will certainly have a head start over other candidates. Knowing this and keeping tabs on UN’s latest legal opportunities is the first step in your journey towards a legal career within an international organization!
With that in mind, check out our eBook, “UN Careers for Law Professionals”, to discover all about the opportunities that law professionals have at UN:
UN Law Careers – Products & Services
