UNDP UNFPA WHO and UN Women – JPO Programme – Institutional Support 2022-2025

This grant represents Canada's support to the Junior Professional Officers (JPO) Programmes of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). It is part of a larger contribution to the UN JPO Programme which supports staffing of up to 15 JPO positions with young Canadian professionals in seven United Nations organizations (UNDP UNFPA WHO UN Women UNICEF WFP and UNHCR). UNDP uses these funds to coordinate the recruitment and assignment of up to nine young Canadians to JPO positions within UNDP UNFPA WHO and UN Women allowing them to gain field-based professional experience in international development. Participants also help support the organizations' respective mandates towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP focuses on poverty eradication and serves as an integrator and operational backbone for the UN development system at the country level. UNFPA promotes human rights and gender equality and ensures that people have access to the information commodities and services they need to promote their reproductive health. WHO focuses on health matters of global significance and is the principal multilateral organization capable of mobilizing and coordinating global action against health emergencies and threats. UN Women advocates the advancement of gender equality and women's empowerment both within the UN system and internationally.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased engagement of young Canadians through international work opportunities in the United Nations’ system; and (2) increased access to a pool of highly qualified Canadian professionals interested in pursuing international careers in Canada and abroad.