Description

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie are launching a pilot fellowship for young African translators. The in-person program will run from October through December 2026 at UNECA’s Publications and Conference Management Section in Addis Ababa. Fellows will learn the professional standards used by United Nations language services while contributing to translation, editing, terminology research, conference documentation, and multilingual communications. The placement also includes structured mentoring, professional development activities, and practical exercises connected to United Nations language recruitment examinations. Applicants must be nationals of an African UNECA member state, be under 35 when applying, and hold a recent master’s degree or equivalent qualification in translation, languages, linguistics, or a related discipline. The required degree must have been completed within the previous three years. French must be the applicant’s main language, and strong working English is mandatory; another official United Nations language is an advantage. Funding includes a monthly allowance of 3,000 US dollars, a one-time installation grant of 3,000 US dollars, return airfare between the fellow’s country of residence and Addis Ababa, and health insurance arrangements where applicable. All documents must be sent as PDF files to [email protected] by July 31, 2026 at 23:59 Addis Ababa time.

Official source and verification

Eligibility criteria

• Be a national of an African UNECA member state
• Be under 35 at the time of application
• Hold a relevant master’s degree obtained within the past three years
• Use French as the main language and have strong working English

Application procedure