UN staff categories - National Professional Officer
National Professional Officers perform very similar roles to those found in the Professional and higher categories. The difference is that they’re always nationals of the country in which they serve, and are usually recruited locally.
The reason for this is that National Professional Officers perform roles which have a strictly national content; this means that they must have experience or knowledge of the national language, culture, institutions, and systems.
Positions in the National Professional Officer category include human rights officer, political affairs and legal officers and interpreters.
For further information on the National Professional Officer category and to find vacancies, visit the UN Careers website.
Photo: UN headquarters, copyright UN Photo 01 March 1987.