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Summary

• Organisation: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Programme: Young Professionals Programme (YPP)
• Programme Type: International professional recruitment programme
• Contract: Two-year fixed-term appointment
• Initial Grade: Generally P-1 step 1
• Age Requirement: 32 years or younger as of 31 December of the application year
• Education: Advanced university degree — Master’s, PhD or equivalent
• Experience: At least one year of relevant professional experience
• Languages: Working knowledge of English plus limited knowledge of another FAO official language
• Priority: Nationals of non- and under-represented FAO Member Nations
• Additional Priority: Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries
• Application: Through the official FAO careers portal
• Deadline: Depends on the individual YPP vacancy; no single 2026 deadline is published on the general programme page

About the Programme

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a recruitment initiative designed to attract talented and qualified young professionals into international public service.

The programme is primarily targeted at nationals of non- or under-represented FAO Member Nations, with priority consideration given to candidates from Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and developing countries generally.

Young Professional Officers work under the supervision of senior FAO staff and alongside international and national colleagues. Their assignments can involve the identification, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of FAO activities.

Assignments may have a country-specific, regional, sector-based or thematic focus, depending on the position. This means the YPP is not a single academic course or scholarship with one fixed field of study. Instead, applicants compete for professional positions that correspond to FAO’s areas of work.

Successful Young Professional Officers are offered two-year fixed-term contracts, subject to a one-year probationary period. FAO states that they will generally be appointed at P-1 step 1 initially and move to P-1 step 2 during the second year.

Scholarship Benefits

Because the YPP is an employment programme rather than a scholarship, FAO’s official YPP page does not present a conventional scholarship package covering tuition, accommodation or airfare.

Instead, the principal benefit is the opportunity to begin a professional career with FAO through a two-year fixed-term international civil service appointment.

According to the official programme information, Young Professional Officers:

• Receive a two-year fixed-term contract.
• Generally begin at P-1 step 1.
• Move to P-1 step 2 during the second year.
• Work directly on FAO activities.
• Gain professional experience working with international and national staff.
• Participate in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of FAO activities.

The precise employment benefits associated with an individual appointment should be checked in the relevant vacancy announcement and FAO’s applicable employment conditions.

Who Can Apply?

The official FAO requirements are specific.

Applicants must:

• Be 32 years of age or younger as of 31 December of the year of application.
• Hold an advanced university degree, such as a Master’s, PhD or equivalent, in a field relevant to FAO’s work.
• Have a minimum of one year of professional experience in a field relevant to FAO.
• Have working knowledge of English.
• Have limited knowledge of at least one other FAO official language: French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian.
• Not be the son, daughter, brother or sister of an FAO staff member.

Nationality is particularly important because the YPP is targeted mainly at nationals of non- and under-represented Member Nations. FAO maintains an official list of countries classified as non-represented or under-represented, and that list can change over time. As of 1 July 2026, Nigeria is not listed among the non-represented or under-represented countries on FAO’s published list.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Check Your Eligibility

Confirm that you meet the age, academic qualification, professional experience and language requirements.

Step 2: Check the Current YPP Vacancies

The general FAO YPP page directs candidates to the current YPP opportunities rather than to a single annual application form. Candidates should therefore look for vacancies specifically identified as YPP (Young Professionals Programme).

Step 3: Create Your FAO Candidate Profile

First-time applicants should create a candidate profile on the FAO recruitment portal. Existing users can sign in and access their profile.

Step 4: Select a Suitable Vacancy

Read the individual vacancy announcement carefully and ensure your education, experience, technical skills and language abilities match the requirements.

Step 5: Complete the Online Application

Submit the application through the official FAO careers portal. FAO states that only applications received through its career portal will be considered, and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Step 6: Submit Before the Vacancy Closes

Each vacancy has its own closing date. FAO states that vacancy announcements are automatically removed from the career site at 23:59 CET on the closing date.

Important Deadline

There is no single general 2026 deadline published for the FAO Young Professionals Programme.

Instead, applicants must monitor the FAO careers portal for individual YPP vacancies and submit their applications before the closing date stated in the relevant vacancy announcement.

This distinction is important: an applicant should not rely on a third-party website claiming that the YPP has one universal annual deadline unless that date can be confirmed in an official FAO vacancy announcement.

Related Opportunities

• United Nations – Nippon Foundation Fellowship 2027 on Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea | Fully Funded
• How to Become a UN Online Volunteer | United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
• United Nations Volunteer Program 2026 | Application Process

These are separate FAO young-talent pathways with different eligibility requirements and application arrangements.

Official Application Link

Final Note from AK Travels LTD

The FAO Young Professionals Programme should not be advertised as a fully funded scholarship. It is a professional recruitment programme through which successful candidates are appointed as Young Professional Officers on two-year fixed-term contracts.

For applicants, the most important strategy is to approach the YPP as a competitive international recruitment process, not as a university scholarship application. Your Master’s or PhD qualification must be relevant to FAO’s work, and you need at least one year of relevant professional experience. Language ability is also an explicit eligibility requirement.

Another important point is nationality. FAO gives priority to nationals of non- and under-represented Member Nations and specifically encourages applications from qualified women. Applicants should therefore check FAO’s current country-representation list rather than assuming that every nationality receives the same level of consideration.

Finally, applicants should monitor the official FAO careers portal because YPP opportunities are vacancy-based. There is no single general application deadline on the current programme page. Only applications submitted through FAO’s official recruitment system are considered.

At AK Travels LTD, we recommend relying on the official FAO vacancy announcement for the exact position, closing date and position-specific requirements before submitting an application.

Website: http://www.aktravelsltd.com