2014 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM (YPP) EXAMINATION

As a member of the United Nations, one of the benefits afforded to the world body’s membership is employment opportunities.  This year, the United Nations is looking for highly qualified candidates who are ready to launch a professional career as an international civil servant.  The young professionals program (YPP), a recruitment initiative that brings new talent to the United Nations through an annual entrance examination is now open to young professionals across the globe.

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), which joined the United Nations in 1991, is among the 54 member countries of the Organization that are invited to participate in this year’s YPP examination.  These are countries that are un-represented, under-represented or are in danger of falling under-represented at the United Nations.  Since 1998, the FSM has only one national working as an international civil servant with the United Nations.

For the 2014 examination, there are six (6) job families or areas of interest that are being offered and they are as follows:

•            Economic Affairs
•         Human Rights
•            Information Systems and Technology
•            Photography
•            Political Affairs
•            Radio Production (only for Arabic/Chinese/Kiwahili/Russian/Spanish speakers)

 To be eligible to take the examination, an applicant must first meet the following requirements:

·                   Nationality: must be a Micronesian citizen or a citizen of one of the 54 member countries that are   invited to participate in the examination at the time of the application

·                 Age:  must be 32 years of age or younger (Date of birth: On or after 1 January 1982)

·                Education:  first-level university degree (bachelors) acceptable for each job family

·                Language:  fluency in English or French (working language of the United Nations)

·                Experience:  no experience required

 The date of the examination is 4 December 2014.  The application period begins from 14 June 2014 to 27 August 2014 (11:29 p.m. EST) through the United Nations careers Portal at http://careers.un.org.  The dates for application to the six (6) different Job families are staggered, and must be adhered to according to the following dates:

• 14 June – 13 August:  Information Systems and Technology, and Political Affairs
•   21 June – 20 August:  Economic Affairs and radio Producer (Arabic/Chinese/Kiswahili/Russian/Spanish)
•   28 June – 27 August:  Human Rights, Library/Information Management, and Photography

 Throughout the application process it is important to note the following:  Any incomplete, incorrect (field of study) and/or late applications will NOT be considered.  And for those who have successfully submitted their application, he/she will receive by e-mail an acknowledgement receipt of their application number and all successful applicants will receive notification regarding their admission to the written examination.

As the examination will only be given out in the Capitals of the invited member countries, the examination for the Federated States of Micronesia will be held in Pohnpei.  The venue for the examination will shortly be announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs.  It must be pointed out, however, that the examination will only be administered in Pohnpei if at least 15 convoked examinees are available for that location.  Falling short of the minimum number, all convoked examinees will have to travel to the nearest testing center.

For those FSM citizens residing outside the FSM, and have been convoked to take the examination he/she can take the examination at the closest examination site in any one of the countries that have been invited to participate in the examination.  Other than these sites, the examination will also be administered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York; San Francisco, California and at the UN Regional Commissions located in Bangkok, Thailand; Addis Abba, Ethiopia; Geneva, Switzerland; Santiago, Chile and Beirut, Lebanon.

Examinees are fully responsible for any expenses related to their travel to the examination site.

The written examination overall time is 4.5 hours and consists of a Specialized Paper:  multiple choice questions, essays and short questions in the substantive area, and a General Paper:  Summary, to be written in either English or French.

For additional information on this year’s YPP examination, please visit the United Nations website at http://careers.un.org or the Permanent Mission of the Federated States of Micronesia website which is also linked to the aforementioned UN website.  You can also contact Mr. Carson Mongkeya at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Palikir at the following email at cmongkeya@mail.fm, or by calling phone number (691) 320-2613/641/544, or contact Mr. Jeem Lippwe at the Permanent Mission of the Federated States of Micronesia to the United Nations in New York at e-mail jeemer9er6@gmail.com or by calling (212) 697-8270/8271/8272.