UN exam opens a world of opportunity

New test will target talent and boost numbers at global body

A series of measures, including a recruitment drive and "significantly raising'' the workforce at the United Nations, will be introduced over the next three years as the nation's share of the UN budget increases, a leading human resources official said on Monday.

The deployment of high-caliber talent to the UN will also be accelerated, said Dai Xiaochu, deputy director of the department of international cooperation at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

"We are preparing to introduce the Young Professional Program next year as a gateway to the UN through an annual entrance exam," Dai told China Daily.

The program, approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2010, will replace the National Competitive Recruitment Examination, the existing hiring channel in China and is targeted to attract talented people under the age of 32.

Currently, the number of Chinese UN staff members is below the "desired range", which is calculated on a formula that includes demographics and GDP, Dai said. But the budget contribution is the decisive factor.

"For instance, China should have 80 to 100 international civil servants, at least, working for the (UN) secretariat. But we only have around 70," Dai said.

Dai said the program will better assist underrepresented countries to bring in fresh talent, as it involves a much faster placement process and more diversified opportunities for field experience.

According to the UN's recruitment website, passing the exam does not guarantee immediate employment. Candidates are put on a roster and it might take years before a candidate successfully lands a job.

But applicants for the program will be informed of up to three potential job vacancies and given an opportunity to indicate their preferences within nine months after the exam.

Recruits will initially be given a two-year fixed-term appointment followed by a career contract, provided their performance is satisfactory.

The new test is expected to take place once a year, Dai said, whereas the old exam was held just several times in the past decade.

China's annual budget to the UN in 2012 is expected to rise to $82.4 million, accounting for 3.18 percent of the overall pot. "Since China is underrepresented on the UN staff, candidates could help rectify that problem by taking the exam and launching a rewarding career in international relations," Dai noted.

Many countries have programs to boost their representation at the UN.

Switzerland, for example, has allocated funds to finance junior professional officers to work for the UN on a temporary basis through the Associate Expert Programs. Japan and the Republic of Korea run similar programs.

To promote basic "know-how", the government has also started to sponsor special training, to promote global awareness, for college students who wish to focus on foreign affairs, according to Zhang Guihong, executive dean of the UN Studies Center of Fudan University, where the training is held.

Over 103 students from 44 universities, domestic and international, joined the week-long training.

Zhou Zhou, a participant who studies international relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University, believes working for the UN will give him some "big-picture" perspectives on social issues. But he initially believed that the only way to work for the UN was to be a domestic civil servant first.

Dai said China has undertaken reforms in recent years to make selection of international civil servants more open and transparent.

It is in sharp contrast to the 1970s, when being a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a prerequisite for candidates to apply for a UN job.

"We used to merit the language ability of candidates. But now the tide has changed to expertise in particular areas such as environment, education, labor, accounting, finance, etc," Dai said.

"Apart from the knowledge they can obtain, I believe the training is a great opportunity for young, promising students to brainstorm and interact with each other," said Abhimanyu Singh, director and representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Beijing office, who is also on the faculty list for the program.

hewei@chinadaily.com.cn