WTO Internship Programme Offers Daily Allowance and Health Insurance Benefits

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Internship Programme provides postgraduate students and recent graduates with an opportunity to gain professional experience at the WTO while developing their understanding of international trade and trade policy.

About the WTO Internship Programme

The programme is open to postgraduate students and recent graduates with a master’s or PhD degree from WTO member and observer countries. Interns may work in areas including trade law, economics, statistics, trade policy, languages, administration, finance, human resources, IT, communications and information management.

Internships can last for up to six months.

Daily Allowance

Selected interns receive a daily allowance of CHF 60, including weekends and official holidays falling within the internship period. However, the WTO states that travel expenses to and from Geneva are not covered under the standard WTO Internship Programme.

Applicants should also note that medical health insurance is mandatory in Switzerland. Under the standard programme, interns are responsible for arranging their own health insurance before starting their internship.

Who Can Apply?

Applicants for the WTO Internship Programme must:

Be a national of a WTO member state or a country/customs territory engaged in accession negotiations.
Have completed undergraduate studies in a relevant discipline.
Be enrolled in a master’s degree with at least one year completed, or have completed a master’s and be enrolled in a higher-level postgraduate programme, including doctoral studies.
Alternatively, have completed a postgraduate degree such as a master’s or PhD within the previous two years at the time of selection.
Be at least 21 years old at the time of the internship.

Areas of Work

Depending on the division where an intern is placed, assignments may involve:

Trade law
Economics
Statistics
Trade policy
Languages
Finance
Human resources
Procurement
Information technology
Communications
External relations
Information management

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the WTO external jobs platform. The WTO says only candidates selected for interviews are contacted, while suitable applications may remain on its roster for one year.

The intake is conducted on an ongoing basis, meaning there is no single fixed recruitment period for the general WTO Internship Programme. Specific internship vacancies may also be advertised when particular qualifications or skills are required.

Apply through the WTO external jobs platform

Important Note About Health Insurance

The title may suggest that the standard WTO Internship Programme provides health insurance, but the information supplied by the WTO says something more specific: medical health insurance is mandatory in Switzerland, and standard WTO interns must arrange their own coverage.

Some other WTO internship programmes have different benefits. For example, participants in the China LDC and Accessions Internship Programme receive CHF 90 per day, economy-class travel to and from Geneva, and an additional CHF 100 per month to subsidize health insurance premiums.

Final Thoughts

The WTO Internship Programme is particularly relevant for postgraduate students and recent graduates interested in international trade, economics, law, public policy, statistics, finance, international relations and related fields. With internships lasting up to six months and a daily allowance of CHF 60, it offers an opportunity to gain experience within an international organization in Geneva.

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