03 April 2009

Bonn, Germany: A delegation from Beijing has visited UNV headquarters to strengthen the UNV-China relationship and exchange ideas on how to improve upon the success of the 2008 Olympic Volunteers initiative.

The high-level visitors came to Bonn to present the results achieved in the 'Strengthening Volunteerism Through the Beijing Olympic Games' project, funded by the Government of China, UNDP and UNV, and to share good practices in volunteer management with UNV experts.

Headed by the Secretary General of the Beijing Volunteer Federation, Guo Xinbao, the delegation also included senior representatives from the Beijing Youth Federation and the China International Centre for Economic and Technical Exchanges.

A meeting with UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri allowed the Chinese visitors to discuss different methods of funding UNV volunteers to enhance South-South cooperation, and to learn about UNV's future directions.

Further meetings with UNV staff included exchanges on documenting the experience of the Beijing Olympics, and ideas for replicating it at other international sporting events in the future. The Chinese delegation was also introduced to the UNV Online Volunteering service as a method for engaging volunteers to assist Chinese NGOs.

The senior officials were accompanied by three UNV volunteers, including the UNV China Programme Officer and the Beijing Olympics Project Communications Officer, both of whom recently received awards for their contributions to volunteerism in China.