How do I get a job at the UN?
The United Nations Association in Canada is NOT A RECRUITMENT OFFICE for the United Nations or its related agencies. The following addresses of organizations were compiled by UNA-Canada to aid Canadian individuals in seeking further information about employment with the UN and its various related agencies and programmes, and to allow an individual to pinpoint specific recruitment channels.
Also feel free to consult the United Nations’ own Office of Human Resources Management or "The Canadian Guide to Working and Living Overseas", both excellent resources.
GOVERNMENT PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE
The United Nations system operates under a quota process with respect to permanent staffing to ensure that all member states are adequately represented in the international civil service. The UN also tends to confer with the various governments to check on potential candidates whose names may come through other channels for consideration for various positions. In concert with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the International Programs of the Public Service Commission of Canada is responsible for identifying positions in all international organizations, including the UN system, of interest to Canada and especially those which could be available in terms of country quota allocations. They will then submit names of highly qualified Canadians to compete for those openings. Positions filled through this route normally require a minimum of 10 years professional experience and an advanced university degree. Qualified individuals interested in being considered for positions may send a résumé directly to any UN office, but they should also submit a résumé to:
International Programs
Public Service Commission of Canada
L’Esplanade Laurier, West Tower,
300 Laurier Ave W, 21st Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0M7
Contact: tel: (613) 992-5902 fax:(613) 943-0771
THE JUNIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICER PROGRAMME (JPO)
A number of UN programmes hire recent graduates for short-term training. These include the UN Development Programme (UNDP), World Food Programme (WFP) the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UNICEF. The JPO Programme is, first and foremost, an opportunity for on-the-job field training for young people who wish to make a career in the general area of international development assistance. Please note that the Programme should not be considered as a point of entry to long-term employment in the UN system.
Essentially, the programme is based on the sponsorship of young professionals by their respective governments. These young officers are given training in the various activities and procedures of the programme, generally in their field offices. JPOs serve in most developing countries, but particular emphasis is placed on the least-developed countries. They are expected to assume the substantive responsibilities of any junior programme official in a relatively short period of time. They are offered two-year, fixed-term contracts. The precise nature of an individual assignment may vary depending on location and responsibilities but generally there is an effort to match an individual’s qualifications and preferences to the requirements of the duty station.
For all JPO programmes, applicants must be under 30 year age, possess a Master’s degree, and have some relevant work or volunteer experience in the field in which they hope to work. The UN offices handle their own recruiting but relevant information and application forms may be obtained from CIDA’s Public Inquiries Branch.
Contact: Public Enquiries Branch: 1-800-230-6349 (or 997-5006 in the Ottawa-Hull area).
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO)
ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONAL OFFICER PROGRAMME
In the past Canada has participated in the FAO Associate Professional Officer Programme to allow well-trained scientists who lack substantial experience the opportunity to work in their area of expertise in a developing country. For the moment, at least, Canadian participation in this programme is in abeyance and no new openings are available for Canadian APO appointments.
UN VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
Since 1971, the UN has operated the UN Volunteers Programme (UNV) which provides opportunities for professionals to work in developing countries for 24 months. The volunteers receive a monthly allowance to cover their living and transportation expenses. Applications for and information about the UNV Programme is available through:
Recruitment Co-ordination Office (UNV Programme)
World University Service of Canada (WUSC)
P.O. Box 3000, Station ’C’
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4M8
Contact: UNV Coordinator,
tel: (613) 798-7477 fax: (613) 798-0990
CANADEM (Canadian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights)
Mandate: Create and manage a resource bank of Canadians with skills in areas such as human rrights, peacebuilding or democracy, and serve as a civilian mechanism for the UN and other international agencies conducting field opperations. Individual Canadians can use CANADEM as a way to be considered for international placements.
CANADEM
1102 - 1 Nicholas Street,
Ottawa ON K1N 7B7
tel: (613) 789-3328 or fax: (613) 789-6125
e-mail: canadem@ibm.net
Web site: www.web.net/~canadem
TERM CONTRACTS
The UN has recently needed to hire people with specialized support skills for term contracts in a variety of field situations. They have frequently used UNV as above, but they have also contracted the selection of such staff to other agencies which maintain data bases of interested individuals. One such organization is Care Canada. For further details you should contact:
Care Canada
P.O. Box 9000
Ottawa, ON, KIG 4X6
Contact: Recruitment Officer, Department of Human Resources
tel: (613) 228-5611 or -5600 fax: (613) 226-5777
UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT
Applications for professional positions with the UN Secretariat in New York may be directed to:
United Nations Professional Staffing Service Recruitment and Placement Division United Nations New York, N.Y. 10017
N.B. It should be noted that in filling vacancies, special attention is paid to the development and maintenance of a proportionate staffing balance among the different Member States. Preference is given to candidates with a knowledge of more than one working language of the Secretariat. Positions in the professional category require an advanced university degree and a minimum of 5 years related experience. Applications are not necessarily acknowledged, although the information will be added to the appropriate data bank.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information on worldwide development work try your university or local library or a local "Development Education Centres". Excellent sources of information specifically designed for Canadians are:
What In The World Is Going On? A guide for Canadians wishing to work, volunteer or study in other countries.
If it is unavailable at your local library or bookstore it can be ordered from:
Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE),
220 Laurier Ave, West Tower, Suite 1100,
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6A4,
tel:(613) 237-4820.
Please prepay in Canadian dollars by sending a cheque or money order in the amount of $15.00 (CBIE members) or $18.00 (non-members) and add $3.00 for shipping and handling.
The Canadian Guide to Working and Living Overseas published by
Intercultural Systems (ISSI)
For 24-hour VISA orders please dial 1-800-267-0105. Price, including delivery and GST, is $47.57. The book itself contains over 1,000 pages and lists 1,850 organizations and agencies working abroad.
Following is a list of the major UN SPECIALIZED AGENCIES AND PROGRAMMES. The addresses of the headquarters are listed below and, for those that have them, their Canadian or North American contact are indicated as well. Each agency or programme does its own recruiting and should therefore be contacted directly regarding employment. Fax numbers are included to facilitate communications.
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization
Via delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Fax: (396) 888-6188
OR
North American Liaison Office for FAO
1001-22nd Street, N.W. Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20437, U.S.A.
Fax: (202) 653-5760
IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency
Wagramerstrasse 5, P.O. Box 100
1400 Vienna, Austria
Fax: (43-1) 20607
ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization
1000 Sherbrooke St. West
Montréal, Québec ,
Canada, H3A 2R2
Fax: (514) 288-4772
IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development
Via del Serafico 107
00142 Rome, Italy
Fax: (396) 5043463
OR
North American Liaison Office for IFAD
1775 K Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006, U.S.A.
Fax: (202) 331-9366
IMF - International Monetary Fund
700, 19th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20431, U.S.A.
Fax: (202) 623-4661
IMO - International Maritime Organization
4 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7SR U.K.
Fax: (44 171) 587-3210
INSTRAW - International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women
P.O. Box 21747
Santo Domingo, D.N.
Dominican Republic
Fax: (809) 685-2117
ITU - International Telecommunications Union
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 733 72 56
UNCHS - UN Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
UN Office at Nairobi
P.O. Box 30030
Nairobi, Kenya
Fax: (254-2) 624 266 / 624 267
UNCTAD - UN Conference on Trade & Development
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 907 0057
UNDP - UN Development Programme
1 UN Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10017, U.S.A.
Fax: (212) 826-2057
UNEP - UN Environment Programme
P.O. Box 30552
Nairobi, Kenya
Fax: (254) (2) 226886 /226890
UNESCO - UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
7, place de Fontenoy
75700 Paris, France
Fax: (331) 4567 1690
OR
UNESCO Liaison Office for Canada
56, rue St-Pierre, Room 500
Québec, P.Q. G1K 4A1
Fax: (418) 692-2562
OR
Canadian Commission for UNESCO
P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5V8
Fax: (613) 566-4405
UNFPA - UN Population Fund
220 East, 42nd Street
New York, N.Y.10017, U.S.A.
Fax: (212) 370-0201
UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees
94 rue Montbrillant
Case Postal 2500
1211 Geneva 2 Dépôt, Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 731 95 46
OR
Canadian Office for UNHCR
280 Albert St., #401
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G8
Fax: (613) 232-2358
UNICEF - UN Children’s Fund
3 United Nations Plaza
New York, N.Y.10017, U.S.A.
Fax: (212) 888-7465
OR
UNICEF Canada
443 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2L8
Fax: (416) 482-8035
UNIDO - UN Industrial Development Organization
P.O. Box 300
A-1400, ienna Austria
Fax: (43-1) 232156
UNIFEM - UN Development Fund for Women
304 East 45th Street
6th floor
New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
Fax: (212) 906-6705
UNITAR - UN Institute for Training & Research
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland.
Fax: (41 22) 733 13 83
UNRWA - UN Works Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East
Gamal Abdul Nassar Street
PO Box 371
Gaza City, Gaza
Fax: (972 7) 677 7555
UNU - UN University
53-70 Jingumae 5-chome
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, Japan
Fax: (81 3) 34992828
UPU - UN Postal Union
Weltpoststrasse 4, CH-3000
Berne 15, Switzerland
Fax: (41 31) 350 31 10
WFP - World Food Programme
Via Cristoforo Colombo, 426
00145 Rome, Italy
Fax: (396) 5127400 /5133537
WHO - World Health Organization
Avenue Appia
1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 791 0746
WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization
34, chemin des Colombettes
1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 7335428
WMO - World Meteorological Organization
41, avenue Guiseppe-Motta
Geneva, Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 734 2326
World Bank Group
IBRD International Bank of Reconstruction
IDA International Development Association
IFC International Finance Corporation
World Bank
1818 "H" Street N.W.
Washington, D.C.
20433 U.S.A.Fax: (202) 477-6391
WTO - World Trade Organization
Centre William Rappard
154 rue de Lausanne
1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland
Fax: (41 22) 731 42 06
United Nations Employment Resources: A Reference document for Canadians
COMPILED BY THE UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION IN CANADA
May 1998
