The World Trade Organization Internship Program provides a valuable opportunity for young professionals and students to gain practical experience in the field of international trade and economic policy. The program offers interns the chance to work closely with experienced professionals at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and to contribute to the organization’s work on global trade issues.
Interns at the World Trade Organization have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in various areas, including trade negotiations, dispute settlement, policy analysis, research, and capacity building. They may be involved in conducting research, drafting reports and briefs, attending meetings and conferences, and providing support to WTO staff on ongoing projects and initiatives.
The internship program is open to individuals from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including economics, law, international relations, and political science. Applicants are typically required to have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies or to be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of application.
Internships at the World Trade Organization are typically unpaid, but interns may receive a stipend to help cover living expenses during their internship period. The duration of internships varies depending on the needs of the organization and the availability of the intern, but typically ranges from three to six months.
The World Trade Organization Internship Program offers a unique opportunity for young professionals and students to gain practical experience, expand their knowledge of international trade issues, and contribute to the work of one of the world’s leading international organizations.
The World Trade Organization 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 World Trade Organization 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.
Eligibility Criteria For The World Trade Organization Internship Program
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.
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.
Method of Application
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.
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