Israel’s delegation to the United Nations has been working in recent weeks to increase the number of Israelis employed at the world body’s headquarters in New York.
Israel is suffering from a lack of representation throughout the United Nations’ various organizations, which only employ some 100 Israelis—none of whom hold any senior positions. This number is small even compared to other countries with similar population sizes as Israel.
Consequently, and in continuation of Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan’s efforts on the matter, the U.N.'s Young Professionals Program (YPP)—a recruitment initiative for talented, highly qualified professionals to start careers as international civil servants with the U.N. Secretariat—is currently open for Israelis to apply.
This program is geared toward individuals who are 32 years old and under, have at least a bachelor’s degree and speak English or French fluently. Suitable candidates will enter the U.N. database, from which the organization will select those it wishes to employ over the next three years.
“We are working tirelessly to break the ‘glass ceiling’ and increase the number of Israelis in the U.N.,” said Erdan.
“I’m certain that their talents and abilities will stand out against the other candidates and represent the beautiful face of Israel against the ongoing efforts to de-legitimize it,” he added.
This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.
