United Nations Young Professionals Programme: The United Nations (UN) is accepting applications for its Young Professionals Programme (YPP) 2026. Eligible nationals of participating countries are invited to apply for the programme, which offers an entry-level career opportunity with the UN Secretariat.
Candidates who successfully complete the YPP examination process will be placed on a roster used to fill suitable vacancies across the UN Secretariat. Candidates may be selected from the roster as relevant positions become available. The roster remains valid for three years.
According to the UN Careers website, placement on the roster does not guarantee an offer of employment. Candidates selected from the roster will initially be offered a two-year fixed-term contract at the start of their professional careers with the UN.
What Is The Young Professionals Programme: Here's All You Need To Know
After completing two years of service with satisfactory performance, candidates may be offered a continuing contract. YPP positions are at the P-1 and P-2 levels, which correspond to entry-level professional and associate officer roles.
These positions may be available at various UN Secretariat offices, including Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Nairobi, New York, Santiago, and Vienna, among other locations. Successful candidates must be willing to work at any UN duty station or field operation.
Young Professionals Programme 2026: Areas Of Work
YPP positions in Development and Sustainability are primarily located in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the regional commissions, which serve as regional branches of the UN Secretariat.
These entities help connect global policies with national and regional action on economic, social, environmental, and sustainable development issues, guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The positions cover a range of functional and substantive areas, including economic affairs, social affairs, population affairs, statistics, data science, environmental protection, and other areas related to sustainable development.
Young Professionals Programme Examination
The YPP examination in Development and Sustainability covers a range of topics, with a focus on economics, statistics, social affairs, environmental issues, and sustainable development. It also assesses areas related to technology, digital transformation, and programme management support.
The examination may cover other subjects within Development and Sustainability that fall under the responsibilities of various entities across the UN system.
Educational Qualification
Candidates must hold at least a first-level university degree, equivalent to a bachelor's degree or another degree requiring a minimum of three years of study, in a field relevant to economics, statistics, data science, social affairs, the environment or sustainable development.
Candidates with an advanced degree are also encouraged to apply.
Eligible degrees must be in one of these areas or a related field. Applicants should select the relevant option from the "Main Course of Study" dropdown menu in the application system. The accepted categories include:
- Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery
- Business and Administration
- Computing
- Environmental Protection
- Humanities
- Law
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Social and Behavioural Science
While completing the application through Inspira, candidates whose exact degree title is not listed should select the closest relevant option from the "Field of Study" and "Main Course of Study" dropdown menus. They must then enter the exact degree title in its original language, along with its English or French translation, in the additional comment fields.
Candidates must not select "Other" under either "Main Course of Study" or "Field of Study", as doing so will result in automatic disqualification.
Work Experience
Prior work experience is not mandatory for the YPP. However, relevant work experience may be considered as an additional screening criterion if more than 90 candidates from the same country apply for the same examination area.
Direct application link: Apply for the UN Young Professionals Programme 2026