Rome, Italy
FAO is an autonomous, specialized UN agency that strives to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, promote rural development, improve the production and distribution of food and agricultural products, develop fisheries and forestry and, in general, eradicate world hunger. FAO collects and disseminates information, advises governments, promotes cooperation among member countries and provides technical assistance. In addition, it cosponsors, with the UN, the World Food Program, which tries to stimulate agricultural development and offers food assistance to developing coun-tries. About two thirds of FAO professionals do field work, teaching people of developing countries a range of food-producing technology.
Professional staff
FAO has a professional staff of 3,238 drawn from its 152 member nations. Approximately 12 people work in the U.S. in either the New York or Washington, DC, regional offices. The rest work in other regional offices in Ghana, Thailand and Chile, at Rome headquarters or in the field. Approximately 511 professionals were hired in the past year. U.S. citizens make up 12.5% of the professional staff.
Qualifications
FAO usually requires a graduate degree in agricultural sciences, rural planning, nutrition or other development-related fields. Knowledge of foreign languages is expected: Arabic, Chinese, French and Spanish are considered most important. FAO also requires previous work experience, usually about five years. Experience in agricultural development in a Third World country or with a national government is considered most desirable. In addition, FAO employees must be willing to live and travel abroad.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Montreal, Canada
ICAO is a specialized agency of the UN that sets international standards and procedures on behalf of its 156 contracting states. Standards are aimed at ensuring safety and uniformity on matters affecting aircraft operations; telecommunications; air traffic, search and rescue; navigational aids; and airport facilities.
ICAO is also involved in regional planning, economic forecasting, fare and rate monitoring and a variety of air transport studies. It offers technical assistance to developing countries to train personnel and strengthen technical infrastructures and operations. ICAO headquarters are in Montreal; regional offices are in Bangkok, Cairo, Dakar, Lima, Mexico City, Nairobi and Paris.
Professional staff
Total professional staff numbers 599; 9% of these are Americans. In the past year, 95 people were hired. Technical consultants are used on a short-term basis for the implementation and study of international projects.
Qualifications
The majority of staff come from civil aviation administrations of member nations; specific educational requirements are not as important as prior experience and training.
Application procedure
The ICAO Bulletin regularly advertises job openings. For more information, contact the personnel department at:
International Civil Aviation Organization 1000 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2R2
International Labor Organization (ILO)
Geneva, Switzerland
The ILO, a specialized UN agency, was founded in 1919 to improve living and working conditions, enhance employment opportunities, promote social and economic stability and advance the cause of social justice. These objectives are carried out through research, publishing, technical cooperation projects and, ILO's most important activity, setting international labor standards. Standards are set by the ILO's annual conference attended by worker, employer, and government representatives of member countries. Issues such as wages, social security and industrial safety are discussed and conventions are adopted. These become legally binding on the member states that ratify them. ILO monitors compliance with these conventions.
Professional staff
The ILO has a professional staff of 754 who work at Geneva headquarters and 572 who work in developing countries. About 6% of the staff are Americans. In the past 12 months, the ILO has hired 191 people.
Qualifications
The ILO usually requires a JD, MBA, MA, MIA, MPA, MS or PhD for employment, preferably in development economics, labor law, public administration, social sciences or international relations. A working knowledge of French or Spanish is frequently necessary. Five years previous work experience in development or labor economics, labor law, or public administration is required; experience in developing countries is an asset. A willingness to work and travel overseas is a requirement for employment.
Internships
An extremely limited number of unpaid internships is available to undergraduate and graduate students on a summer and semester basis. Interns are expected to have academic majors in areas that coincide with ILO activities. Work usually consists of public administration or research.
Application procedure
Recruitment is for positions in Geneva. The U.S. departments of State and Labor, university placement offices and the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) are advised of openings. Suitable candidates will be placed on a roster.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Washington, DC
The IMF promotes international monetary cooperation and a more open system of world trade. Consisting of 148 member countries, the IMF supports stable world economic growth by providing financial assistance to member countries suffering temporary balance of payments difficulties. It also plays a large role in managing international debt problems by issuing loans to help countries meet their interest payments and by directing austerity measures.
About two thirds of the IMF's international-projects staff are economists with proven skills in economic analysis. Most staff are based at Washington, DC, headquarters. Small offices are maintained in Paris and Geneva. Staff sometimes reside in member countries for varying periods in order to monitor economic developments and advise on economic matters. The IMF has 18 departments; 5 are area related and the others are functional, such as Exchange and Trade Relations, Fiscal Affairs and Central Banking.
Professional staff
The IMF has a professional staff of 1,000; 30 of the total are employed overseas. Approximately 25% are American citizens. In the past year, the IMF has hired 130 people.
Qualifications
Persons with a graduate degree in economics, preferably a PhD, stand the best chance of being hired. Knowledge of foreign languages is preferred, with Arabic, French and Spanish the most important. An appointment to the regular staff or to a fixed-term position usually requires experience in a government, or a financial or academic institution.
Training program
Approximately 25 people are recruited-often from graduate pro-grams-each year through the "Economist Program." The program is designed to acquaint candidates who have promising credentials with the policies, functions and operating methods of the Fund. It runs for two years and involves assignments in both an area department and a functional department. At the conclusion of the program, some trainees are offered permanent employment. Candidates for the Economist Program should be under 33 years of age and have graduate training in economics. Applicants are selected on the basis of academic record, personal qualities and, in some instances, previous work experience.
