Paid WTO Internship Programme 2025 for Recent Graduates
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Deadline: Ongoing
About the WTO Internship Programme
Here’s an exciting opportunity to kickstart your career in promoting international trade in a diverse and rewarding environment. For a maximum of 6 months, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Internship Programme provides post-graduate students from WTO member and observer countries a chance to gain valuable experience from working at the WTO. If you believe that trade has to be as inclusive as possible and that it plays an essential role in supporting economic growth and development around the world, then apply to fill one of the internship openings. WTO offers you the opportunity to be part of an organization that targets to ensure trade flows as freely as possible.
The WTO Secretariat maintains a variety of internship programmes for post-graduate students. Internship selections are based on merit, taking account of eligibility criteria, academic qualifications and expertise. There are three internship programmes at the WTO.
(1) The WTO Internship Programme is open to post-graduate students from all WTO members and countries or customs territories engaged in accession negotiations;
(2) The China LDC and Accessions Programme (also known as the China WTO Accession Internship Programme); and
(3) The WTO Support Programme for Doctoral Studies.
NB: Both (2) and (3) are reserved for post-graduate students from developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs).
Why work at the WTO?
A career at the WTO Secretariat means a lot of things. Interns will be working in a truly diverse environment, interacting with more than 600 staff members from about 80 countries. Your workplace will be Geneva, Switzerland, in the WTO’s headquarters next to Lake Geneva. You will have the opportunity to work in the WTO’s three official languages which is English, French and Spanish, and participate in the evolution of multilateral trade. If you find this appealing, a career at the WTO could be for you!
At the heart of the organization are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations. These documents, guided by a number of fundamental principles, provide the legal ground rules for international commerce. The WTO’s core areas of activity are trade negotiations, implementation and monitoring of multilateral trade agreements, dispute settlement, supporting development and building trade capacity.
While the WTO is driven by its member states, it could not function without the WTO Secretariat to coordinate its activities. The Secretariat is a multicultural team of highly qualified individuals who possess a wide range of skills and experience needed to provide high-quality support to the WTO’s member governments.
General Assignments for the WTO Internship
Assignments given to interns are intended to enhance the individual’s understanding of the WTO and of trade policy more generally. However, internships include opportunities in other specialist areas, such as finance, human resources, language services, IT and communications. The division to which the intern is assigned determines the precise nature of the work to be undertaken. Many interns work in the following areas:
- Trade law
- Economics
- Statistics
- Trade policy
- Languages
- Administration (procurement, finance, human resources)
- Information, communication and external relations
- Information management
Remuneration
Interns receive a daily allowance of CHF 60 (including week-ends and official holidays falling within the selected period). Travel expenses to and from Geneva cannot be paid by the WTO, and such travel is not covered by the Organization’s insurance. Medical health insurance coverage is mandatory in Switzerland, and interns are responsible for organizing their own health insurance prior to commencing their internship at the WTO.
Eligibility
A candidate must:
- Be a national of a WTO member state or a country or customs territory engaged in accession negotiations
- Have completed his/her undergraduate studies in a relevant discipline and have completed at least one year of his/her postgraduate studies
- Be at least 21 years old and a maximum of 30 years old during the internship.
How to Apply
Candidates should submit their applications through the WTO external jobs platform and only candidates selected for interview are contacted. The system provides instructions for online application procedures. A roster of suitable candidates is maintained from which interns are selected. Suitable applications are maintained on the roster for one year.
Intake to the WTO Internship Programme is on an ongoing basis, with no specific recruitment period. However, there may be specific vacancy notices for internship positions requiring particular qualifications and skillsets published on the WTO’s e-Recruitment website. The granting of an internship does not entail the right to a vacancy in another part of the Secretariat. Interns may nevertheless apply for any external vacancies.
About WTO
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.
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