UN YPP Minimum Requirements
The United Nations Young Professionals Programme (UN YPP) is an annual selection process for highly qualified and motivated young people from around the world who wish to start their international careers, hone their skills, and assist the UN in fulfilling its mission. To apply, candidates must meet the basic eligibility criteria of the program.
In this article, we will show you the minimum requirements to apply for the UN YPP and how to succeed in this competitive selection process!
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UN YPP Minimum Requirements / Eligibility Criteria
The basic requirements are:
Age
Applicants must be 32 years old or younger as of 31 December of the year of the UN YPP examination. There are no exceptions to the UN YPP age requirements (not even for one day). If you don’t meet this basic criterion, you could still look for more senior positions within the UN system that have different age prerequisites.
Language
Fluency in English OR French in all four areas (speaking, writing, reading, understanding) is required. If you indicate anything less than “Fluent” in any of these areas during the application process, you will automatically be considered unqualified. All of the tests in the examination process will be available in both languages. Knowledge of another UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and/or Spanish) is an advantage.
Nationality
One of the constantly changing criteria and that should be analyzed as a priority is with regards to the “participating countries”—which defines, based on a quota system (aiming to ensure diversity within the UN Secretariat workforce), which countries are invited to participate in the selection of the ongoing year.
Every year, the representation of each of the UN Member States within the Secretariat is assessed. Calculations are based on mathematical formulas with many variables (country size, population, etc). Nationals of a country that is overrepresented or whose representation already meets the quota are normally not invited to take part in the UN YPP selection process.
The list changes on an annual basis and it is not possible to predict which countries will be eligible for the following year. In order to be considered for a post, candidates must hold the nationality of at least one of the pre-selected Member States.
Remember that you can only apply under one nationality! In case you have more than one, your choice of which to use could increase your chances of acceptance. If, for instance, one of the countries of which you are a citizen is underrepresented in the UN Secretariat or by the number of its citizens applying for the program, you could improve your chances of qualifying for the exam by selecting that nationality.
Education
As a minimum, you must hold a first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree of a minimum three years) relevant for the exam area you are applying for.
This means that a candidate’s academic qualifications should be in areas co-related/covered by the UN YPP exam areas for that year and which they intend to apply for.
PAY ATTENTION: When you prepare your application in Inspira, if you don’t see your exact degree listed, choose the Field of Study that is closest to your degree, from the “Field of Study” and “Main Course of Study” dropdown menus; then type the exact title in the original language as well as its translation in English or French in the additional comment boxes. Do NOT select “other” for Main Course of Study or Field of Study, or you will be automatically disqualified. These details matter, that’s why we recommend that you have your UN YPP application documents reviewed!
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Work Experience
Previous professional experience is not required. However, relevant work experience will be used to rank candidates, especially if there are more than 60 from the same country applying for the UN Young Professionals Programme.
The UN advises applicants to be precise and concise about their work experience, using short bullet points to describe the main duties of each role performed.
Basic criteria for UN Staff Members
Staff members can apply either through an external application (meeting the requirements listed above) or in line with special staff criteria. According to the United Nations, if you are a staff member of the organization in the General Service and related staff categories, or in the Field Service category, and do not meet the above criteria, you can still participate in the examination, if you meet the following prerequisites:
c) You have a United Nations appointment valid until at least six months after the examination date
d) You meet the minimum educational criteria for the job family you are interested in applying for
The job openings for internal UN YPP applicants are only accessible through the Inspira platform, via “G to P” or “G to N” job openings, and are not available on the Careers Portal.
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Magazine: Understanding the UN YPP Written Exam
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