The UN Climate Change secretariat offers various career advancement and educational opportunities, in addition to its regular recruitment process. There are four different types of opportunities offered in accordance with UN system-wide policy, targeting different groups of Parties or sponsors and individuals, as follows: Fellowships, Experts on a non-reimbursable loan basis, Junior professional officers and Internships.

1. Fellowships

      1. A. Capacity award programme

The capacity awards programme targets young and mid-career professionals who are already in government service and who are nationals of and working in a small island developing State (SIDS) or a least developed country (LDC). With financial support from the Government of Italy, the programme offers fellowships at the UN Climate Change secretariat for a period of one year (renewable to two years) with a view to building local capacity for addressing climate change in SIDS and LDCs by:

• Supporting innovative analytical work on climate change in the context of sustainable development;
• Helping to create a network of experts that can produce creative and innovative solutions to climate change and its effects;
• Building the leadership potential of young and promising professionals.

      1. B. Early career joint fellowship programme

The early career joint fellowship programme, run jointly by the UN Climate Change secretariat and the United Nations University (UNU), prioritizes young professional women from LDCs. Eligible applicants must be enrolled in a programme leading to, or have obtained, a degree or a PhD, and must have demonstrated academic excellence. Their area of specialization should be compatible with the work of the UNU Institute of Human Security and of the UN Climate Change secretariat. The selected candidates will work at UNU and the UN Climate Change secretariat for a maximum of two years.

2. Experts on a non-reimbursable loan basis

The experts on a non-reimbursable loan basis initiative allows Parties and observer States to give their personnel the opportunity to work at the UN Climate Change secretariat for one to three years through a non-reimbursable loan agreement. The required expertise will depend on the needs of the secretariat. During their assignment at the UN Climate Change secretariat, the personnel on loan will remain remunerated by the seconding government. The terms of reference for the assignment, as determined by the UN Climate Change secretariat, will be specified in a memorandum of understanding.

3. Junior professional officers

The junior professional officer (JPO) arrangement targets professionals at the beginning of their careers and is based on an agreement between the sponsoring Party and the UN Climate Change secretariat. Eligible candidates must be 32 years old or younger and hold a Master's degree (or equivalent) in a discipline or area of work relevant to the UN Climate Change secretariat. JPOs are usually selected by the sponsoring Party through a competitive process. They normally receive a two-year fixed-term contract, with a possible extension of one year.

4. Internships

Internships allow qualified students with diverse academic backgrounds to broaden their education through practical work assignments at the UN Climate Change secretariat. Eligible candidates must be enrolled in a Master’s or PhD degree programme at a university. Internships last from two to six months. Currently, internships are not remunerated.

Opportunities and needs within the UN Climate Change secretariat for personnel assignments from external sources are updated and reviewed regularly and can be shared upon request. For more information on the terms and conditions for any of the arrangements outlined above and current opportunities available, please contact Mr. Andreas Lange, Head of Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, at alange@unfccc.int.