Overview The United Nations, through the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA) Office in Rome, has launched the call for applications for the 2025/2026 Italian Fellowships Programme. This initiative provides young Italian professionals with the opportunity to gain one year of valuable work experience in UN field offices located in developing countries. Designed to foster expertise in international development and multilateral cooperation, the Programme targets highly qualified graduates who are motivated to contribute to the work of the United Nations while advancing their professional skills. Programme Timeline The forthcoming programme cycle follows a structured and phased implementation schedule. A comprehensive orientation workshop, organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and its Training Centre in Turin, is expected to take place in May 2026. This workshop provides an introduction to the UN system, professional expectations, and key thematic areas relevant to UN fieldwork. Following the workshop, selected fellows will undertake their on-the-job training assignment from May 2026 to May 2027. During this period, fellows will work within UN field offices in developing countries, participating in operational, analytical and programme-focused responsibilities under the guidance of experienced UN staff. The tentative selection process is expected to run as follows: December 2025 – February 2026: Validation of applications and pre-selection activities. January – February 2026: Interviews and final selection of candidates. Eligibility Requirements Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria in order to be considered. These include: Date of birth: Applicants must be born on or after 1 January 1997. Nationality: Only candidates with Italian citizenship are eligible. Languages: Fluency in English and Italian is required. Education: Candidates must hold an advanced university degree awarded prior to the application deadline. Eligible qualifications include: Laurea Magistrale/Specialistica Laurea Magistrale a ciclo unico University Master’s degree awarded after a Laurea/Laurea Triennale University Master’s degree awarded after a Bachelor’s degree Application Procedure Applications must be submitted exclusively online through the Online Web Application (OWA) system managed by UN/DESA Rome. The 2025/2026 cycle introduces an updated process in which applicants apply directly to specific Fellowship positions rather than to the general programme. Each candidate may apply for a maximum of two positions. The application deadline is 18 December 2025 at 3:00 pm CET. Prospective applicants are strongly advised to review all programme information, eligibility rules, and position-specific requirements before beginning the OWA process. OWA is not yet fully mobile-responsive; candidates are encouraged to apply using a desktop or laptop computer. The system supports major browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge, and requires a minimum screen resolution of 1280 × 1024. To prevent data loss, applicants should frequently click the Save button. Registration and Document Submission First-time users must complete the full registration process and upload one PDF (maximum 1MB) containing the required documentation. Acceptable documents include: Advanced university degree certificate OR a signed self-certification (autocertificazione) for degrees awarded by Italian universities Self-certification documents must include full personal information, details of the degree obtained, date of award, the awarding university, final grade, and credits earned. These documents must be manually signed. Computer-generated signatures, incomplete documents, enrolment certificates, transcripts, screenshots, or study plans are not acceptable. Candidates with degrees from non-Italian universities must upload the official degree certificate. UN/DESA evaluates institutions using the World Higher Education Database (WHED). Candidates should verify the accreditation status of their institution before applying. After registering, applicants will receive an automated email to confirm their OWA account. If the message does not appear in the inbox, the spam or junk folder should be checked. Completing the Profile and Application Before creating an application, candidates must update their My Profile section, which includes personal, contact, family, nationality, skills, educational history, training courses, publications, professional associations, and periods spent abroad. To apply, candidates must select “New Application” and choose the specific position. Applications include three sections: Employment History: Details of all relevant professional and voluntary experience. Motivation Letter: An explanation of the candidate’s interest, strengths, and suitability. Review and Submission: Candidates may download a PDF preview before final submission. Once submitted, revisions are not permitted. Candidates may submit up to two applications. To facilitate data retrieval, it is recommended to complete and submit the first application before creating the second. VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the fellowship organization. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.