29 June 2004

"Far away from the spotlight, there are millions of generous individuals who, around the clock and around the world, roll up their sleeves and volunteer. These dedicated and courageous individuals are important partners in the quest for a better, fairer and safer world.”
Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General

Visiting the Bonn Headquarters of the United Nations Volunteers in 2003, I was once again struck by the passion and commitment of staff and volunteers worldwide who put volunteering at the heart of development to help change lives for the better. Like them, I strongly believe that volunteerism is fundamental to global development, even more so today as we work towards achieving the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to combat poverty, hunger and disease in our world.

In 2003, some 5,600 UN Volunteers in all corners of the globe made vitally important contributions to global efforts to reach the MDGs. UN Volunteers empowered women in Jordan and extended the reach of national poverty reduction programmes in Kyrgyzstan; they helped ensure national ownership of human rights in Guatemala and linked job creation to the protection of the environment in Chad. UN Volunteers are also providing key support to the UNDP Southern Africa Capacity Initiative (SACI), a new scheme designed to address head-on the challenges HIV/AIDSaffected countries face in the loss of their most productive people. Working with governments and civil society, UNVs are being strategically placed to temporarily offset capacity gaps and train successors in key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare and education. Increasingly, UN Volunteers are also providing invaluable support to countries vulnerable to conflict or natural disasters.

Their expertise, proximity to local communities and proven ability to assist communities as they recover and rebuild from crises, is an asset increasingly leveraged by UNDP, and other UN partners around the world. From helping Sri Lanka recover from the devastating floods, to rebuilding infrastructure and helping restore stability in Liberia, or fostering joint activities to promote peace and understanding among youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina, these were just some of the ways in which UN Volunteers so capably served in crisis and post-conflict situations in 2003.
Critical to our work to make the aims of the MDGs a reality on the ground have been the successful efforts of the UNV programme to generate global awareness of the important role volunteerism plays in this. Through initiatives such as the WorldVolunteerWeb and International Volunteer Day, which in 2003 saw more than 70 countries on all continents use this day to mobilize community involvement in reaching the goals, UN Volunteers continue to demonstrate their immense value as true partners in achieving the MDGs.

Sadly, UNV lost one of its greatest champions in this area when the late Sharon Capeling-Alakija, Executive Coordinator for UNV, passed away in November 2003. Sharon’s contribution to mobilizing volunteers for peace and development, especially in meeting the challenges of the MDGs, has left an enduring legacy for both UNV and the global volunteer movement. As we approach 2005 and the Heads of Government event that will review progress on the Millennium Development Goals, it is increasingly clear that decisive changes need to be made next year if we are to put in place the political will, the resources and the policy changes it will take to achieve
the MDGs. The critical role volunteers play in turning global aspirations to build a better world into reality for the world’s poorest people has never been more vital.