Internships

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. Both (2) and (3) are reserved for post-graduate students from developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs).  

The internship programmes is designed to increase the diversity of the WTO.

More information about each programme is provided below:

• WTO Internship Programme
• China's LDCs, Accessions and General Internship Programme
• WTO Support Programme for Doctoral Studies

WTO Internship Programme

The WTO Internship Programme provides an opportunity for post-graduate students from WTO member and observer countries to gain valuable experience from working at the WTO.

​General assignments

​ 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

Information about the responsibilities of the WTO's  divisions is available here.

Duration

Up to a maximum of six months.

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.

Additional information

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.

China's LDCs, Accessions and General Internship Programme

China's LDCs and Accessions Programme, sponsored by the Government of China, aims to help recent graduates and young professionals from least-developed countries (LDCs) and developing countries gain work experience at the WTO. The Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) and the Accessions Division, in close coordination with the Human Resources Division, manage the implementation of the programme.  The  ITTC, Accessions Division and the Government of China meet annually to review the operation and implementation of the programme.

General functions

Up to ten internships are offered under this programme annually. Five interns are placed in the Accessions Division of the WTO. The work of this division is to facilitate the negotiations between WTO members and countries/customs territories seeking to join the WTO. The remaining five interns are allocated to a specific division of the WTO Secretariat in accordance with the needs and priorities of the organization and based on the areas of interest of the applicant. The areas of work may include accessions, agriculture, dispute settlement, intellectual property rights, government procurement (GPA), competition policy, market access, rules, trade and development, trade and environment, trade in services and investment, trade facilitation, trade policy analysis and trade-related technical assistance.

Assignments given to interns are intended to enhance their understanding of trade law, economics and trade policies more generally. The needs of the division are balanced with the capacity-building needs of the interns. Under the supervision of a professional staff member, interns are expected to assist the division in its regular work.

Duration

Up to 10 months.

Remuneration and benefits

Interns under the programme receive a daily allowance of CHF 90 (including weekends and official holidays that occur within the selected periods).  In addition, travel expenses (economy class air fare) to and from Geneva are also covered by the programme.

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. In this respect, interns receive an extra CHF100 per month to subsidize their health insurance premium payments for the duration of their internship.

Eligibility

A candidate must:

• be a national of a least-developed country (LDC) or developing WTO member or an observer engaged in accession negotiations
• have completed his/her undergraduate studies in a relevant discipline (e.g. economics, law, political science, international relations), and have completed at least one year of his/her postgraduate studies
• be no older than 30

How to apply

Interested candidates, who meet the above criteria, should complete two steps for their application to be considered: 

• Complete a general internship application form on the WTO external jobs platform
• Send a separate email to [email protected] for the internships based in the Accessions Division or to [email protected] for internships in other divisions to indicate your interest in the China WTO Accessions and General Internship Programme, with a copy of your CV and your motivation letter.

There is no opening or closing date for applications, except for the applications to the China General Internship Programme which would be accepted between 1 January and 15 March 2024.

Additional information

​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.
Who has participated so far? Please click here to see the complete list of Accession Internship Programme “Alumni”, and read about their experiences.

WTO Support Programme for Doctoral Studies

The WTO Support Programme for Doctoral Studies (also known as the PhD Internship Programme) aims to support the development of academic expertise on WTO issues in developing countries. The WTO Secretariat invites doctoral students from developing countries to conduct research at the WTO and provides them with mentoring/advice in close collaboration with the students' academic supervisors.

General functions

Participants in the PhD Internship Programme are expected to advance their doctoral thesis during their time at the WTO, taking advantage of access to WTO facilities and information as well as opportunities for interaction with the general trade policy community. They are not expected to undertake assignments on behalf of the WTO Secretariat. A mentor is allocated to the doctoral student for the duration of his/her internship. The role of the mentor is to provide the student with advice, as required, in close collaboration with the student's academic supervisors. Before the end of the PhD Internship Programme, the participant is required to give a seminar on his/her work.

Duration

From three to six months.

Remuneration and benefits

Interns under the PhD Internship Programme receive a daily allowance of CHF 60 (including weekends and official holidays falling within the selected period). In addition, travel expenses (economy class air fare) to and from Geneva is covered by the WTO.

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
• be a national of a least-developed country (LDC) or a developing country
• undertake a PhD or equivalent in economics, law, international relations or in a closely related WTO discipline
• be in the final stage of his/her PhD and therefore at the writing-up stage (75% minimum completion) of the thesis
• work in one of the three official languages of the WTO, i.e. English, French and Spanish.

How to apply

Candidates who wish to participate in the WTO Support Programme for Doctoral Studies are invited to fill out the application form and submit the required documents.

Additional information

The granting of an internship does not entail the right to a vacancy in another part of the Secretariat. Interns may nevertheless apply for external vacancies.