OFFICE( 21)/19 
21-2691 
 
 
The recruitment policy of the WTO is to seek to attract and retain staff members  
offering the highest standards of competence, efficiency and integrity.  
As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the WTO gives full regard to merit and diversity.  
______________________________________________________________________  
 
Vacancy Notice No.:  EXT/T/ 21-13 Issued on:  1 April 2021 
 
Title:  Young Professional  
 Application Deadline:  29 April  2021 
 
Grade:  N/A 
 Division:  Various  
 
Contract Type:  Temporary appointment  
 
Starting Salary:  CHF 3,500  monthly salary  
(approximate)  Duration:  One year without possibility of 
extension  
 
 
The Secretariat of the WTO is seeking candidates for THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAMME for 20 22. 
 
The WTO Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a unique opportunity for qualified 
young professionals up to the age of 32 years , as at 1 January 20 22, from eligible 
developing and least -developed country (LDC) WTO Members , to enhance their 
knowledge and skills on WTO and international trade issues.  The Programme aims to 
widen the pool of professionals from these countries who can later be more competitive 
with respect to recruitment in the WTO and/or other regional and in ternational 
organizations.  
 
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A  COVER LETTER OF MOTIVATION , WHICH 
SHOULD INDICATE  UP TO THREE AREAS OF WORK (SEE DETAILS UNDER GENERAL 
FUNCTIONS), IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE , THAT THE APPLICANT WOULD BE INTERESTED 
IN. Applications with no accompanying letter  of motivation  will not be considered. Please 
refer to instructions under Additional Information on how to add a cover letter on the 
WTO e -recruitment system.  
 
This is a limited programme that offers selected young profe ssionals with the opportunity 
to gain work experience in the WTO. There is no guarantee of an extension of the 
programme or of a job offer after the one -year programme.  
 
 
General Functions  
 
The selected Young Professional will be placed in a specific Divis ion of the WTO Secretariat in 
accordance with the needs and priorities of the Organization; and based on the identified areas of 
interest of the Young Professional. Each Young Professional may express interest in not more than 
three areas of WTO work; and in order of preference.  
 
The areas of work may include, inter alia,  the following (in alphabetical order):  
 
- Accessions  
- Agriculture  
- Council and Trade Negotiations  
- Dispute Settlement  
- Economic Research and Statistics  
- Government Procurement  
- Intellectual Property Rights  
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  - Market Access (t ariffs and non -tariff barriers)  
- Media and External R elations  
- Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures  
- Technical Barriers to Trade  
- Trade and Development  
- Trade and Environment  
- Trade Facilitation  
- Trade and Gender  
- Trade in Services and Investment  
- Trade Policy Analysis  
- Trade -Related Technical A ssistance.  
- Trade Remedies (anti -dumping and counterv ailing duties)  
 
 
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS  
 
Education:  
 
Advanced university degree in law , economics, or other international trade -related subjects relevant 
to the work of the WTO . 
 
Knowledge and Skills:  
 
General knowledge of the work of the WTO.  
Good drafting skills in English. Ability to draft in French and/or Spanish would be an advantage.  
Ability to  work independently and as part of a team , in a multicultural environment . 
Demonstrat ed strong interest in international trade  and the multilateral trading system . 
Commitment and passion for t rade or WTO -related work.  
 
Work Experience:  
 
Minimum two (2) years of professional  experience  relevant to the work of the WTO . 
 
Languages:  
 
Fluency in English. A good working knowledge either French or Spanish  would be an advantage.  
 
 
Additional Information:  
 
Preference shall be given to nationals from WTO Members without any representation or with low 
representation (one staff member) at the professional level in the Secretariat ; and have not 
participated in previous cohorts of the YPP .  The list  of such WTO Members as at 15 March  2021 is 
set out below:  
 
Angola, Barbados, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Djibouti, Gabon, 
Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, Moldova, Myanmar, Niger, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi 
Arabia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, 
Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia  
 
APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATIONS THROUGH THE E -RECRUITMENT SYS TEM ALONG 
WITH THEIR COVER LETTER OF MOTIVATION. Instructions to add the cover letter is as follows: Once 
the application for the Young Professionals Programme has been submitted, their application will be 
displayed under the "My Applications" tab. Applica nts should clic k on the button "Add" for the specific 
vacancy under the "Covering letter" column. Cover letters added in other sections of the applicant 
profile such as "Additional Information" or "Additional Documents".  
 
Only applications from nationals o f WTO Members will be accepted.  Female candidates are strongly 
encouraged to apply to this Programme.  
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  The WTO may use various communication technologies such as video or teleconference for the 
assessment and evaluation of candidates. The recruitment proce ss may also involve the use of 
various forms of testing, assessment centres, interviews and reference checks.  
______________________________________________________________________  
APPLICANTS MAY BE REQUIRED TO SIT A WRITTEN EXAMINATION  
___________________ ___________________________________________________  
APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED DIRECTLY IF SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW  
______________________________________________________________________  
Please note that all candidates must complete an o nline application  form.  
To apply, please visit the WTO's E -Recruitment website at: https://erecruitment.wto.org . 
The system provides instructions for online application procedures.  
 
All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has  
been posted and well before the closing date – Geneva (Switzerland) time  –  
stated in the vacancy announcement . 
 
PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE  
CLOSING DATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED  
 
The WTO is a non -smoking environment.