The WTO Young Professionals Programme was launched in 2016 with the aim of enhancing the knowledge and skills on WTO issues of young professionals from developing and least developed countries — with a special focus on WTO members that are not currently represented at the professional level in the WTO Secretariat.

"Trade can make a big difference in the lives of people and prospects around the world. A big part of that is to invest in professionals like you," DG Azevêdo told the Young Professionals. He said that the programme aims to enhance the knowledge of WTO issues among young professionals not only to help them build their own careers in trade, but also because they should seek to "disseminate the knowledge as far and wide as possible, as this is essential in empowering people to gain the benefits that trade and the trading system have to offer".

He noted that the first year of the initiative was so successful that the WTO expanded the intake of the young professionals to 15 vacancies, three times the size of the 2017 programme.

DG Azevedo briefed the Young Professionals on the latest ministerial conference in Buenos Aires in December last year. He noted the young professionals joined the WTO "at an important moment of the organisation", as there is huge interest in the WTO's work at present and stakeholder engagement has been growing.

He encouraged the young professionals to stay tuned, get involved and make the most out of their time in Geneva.

The fifteen young professionals were selected from more than 1,500 candidates following a competitive selection process. This is the second time the WTO has implemented the Young Professionals Programme, after a successful inaugural programme in 2017.

Participants in the WTO Young Professionals Programme in 2018