WTO Young Professionals Programme (YPP) 2027

The Secretariat of the WTO is seeking candidates for THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAMME for 2027.

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 2027, from WTO Members with low or no professional representation in the WTO Secretariat, to enhance their knowledge of WTO and skills in international trade issues.  The Programme aims to widen the pool of professionals from these WTO Members, with the ultimate goal of broadening their representation in the WTO and/or other regional and international organizations.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineMay 6, 2026
• Study Level
• SponsorWorld Trade Organization
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• Participants under the programme receive a monthly salary of CHF 4,000.
• The WTO also provides appropriate medical cover and travel costs.

Requirements

Education: 

• Advanced university degree in economics, econometrics, international relations, law, environment studies, or other trade-related subjects relevant to the work of the WTO (e.g. international investment law, trade and gender, etc.). Applicants must have obtained their advanced university degree by the time they submit their application.

Knowledge and Skills:

• General knowledge of the work of the WTO.
• Technical knowledge in one or more of the areas of work indicated above.
• 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.
• Demonstrated strong interest in international trade and the multilateral trading system.
• Commitment and passion for trade 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 of either French or Spanish would be an advantage.

Information:

Preference shall be given to nationals from WTO Members without any representation as well as from developing and least developed countries (LDCs) Members with low representation (up to three staff members) at the professional level in the Secretariat (list below). Priority will be given to WTO Members from developing and LDCs that have no representation and have not participated in previous cohorts of the YPP (marked with an asterisk in list below). 

Albania, Angola, Armenia, Kingdom of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin*, Plurinational State of Bolivia*, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam*, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde*, Cambodia, Chile, Comoros*, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo*, Djibouti*, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon*, The Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong China, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, the State of Kuwait*, Kyrgyz Republic*, Lao People’s Democratic Republic*, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao China, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar*, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger*, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar*, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis*, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa*, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone*, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands*, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname*, Chinese Taipei, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste*, Togo, Tonga*, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates*, Uruguay, Vanuatu*, Viet Nam, Yemen*, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Only applications from nationals of WTO Members will be accepted. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply to this Programme.

Application Documents

• All applications must be submitted in English, 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.

Check also:
2026 Fully Funded Humboldt Research Fellowship
2026 Konrad Adenauer Foundation Scholarship

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• For more information, kindly visit the YPP webpage.