top of page

Young Leader Officer Program

The Young Leader Officers (YLO) program offers young professionals an exceptional opportunity to learn first-hand about international development and acquire practical experience working on restoring human dignity issues. This is a new initiative.

​

The purpose of the Program is two-fold: on the one hand, it equips international organizations with skilled personnel for a period of two years; on the other, it allows young qualified professionals the opportunity of gaining valuable work experience that will broaden their chances of finding a suitable job in the international development field. The majority of YLO staff that serve with ORPE, continue to work with the Organization at the end of their YLO assignment.

​

YLOs are typically between 28 and 35 years of age and are recruited as professional staff members, at the P-2 level, by their respective governments who serve as the sponsors of their positions within the Organization.

​

History of the YLO program

​

The YLO program evolved from the United Nations’ Associate Experts (AE) program, which was initiated in 1954 by the Government of the Netherlands as a way to provide additional staff to the Food and Agriculture Organization as well as on-the-job training for young graduates interested in international development.

​

ORPE initiated its YLO program in 1975 with over YLO placements to date. ORPE has signed YLO agreements with the following sponsor governments and other bodies - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and “Agence intergouvernementale de la Francophonie”.

​

How do I apply?

​

ORPE does not directly recruit YLO positions to the Organization. Interested candidates must apply through the respective country’s YLO procedures. The application process for the YLO program is highly competitive with selection criteria based on the requirements of the sponsoring government. As each donor country has its own rules and procedures for recruitment, we advise you to consult the websites listed below and apply accordingly.

​

International Organizations

 

Australia

 

Austria

  • Austrian Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs

 

Belgium

China

Denmark

 

Finland

 

France

 

Germany

 

Italy

 

Japan

 

The Netherlands

 

Norway

 

Republic of Korea

 

Sweden

 

Switzerland

 

The United States

bottom of page