13 December 2000

BONN: At the heart of volunteerism are the ideals of service and solidarity and the belief that together we can make the world a better place. In that sense, we can say that volunteerism is the ultimate expression of what the United Nations is all about," said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the IYV Opening Ceremony at UN headquarters in New York. In more than 100 countries around the world-from Mongolia to Mali, from Brazil to Belgium-volunteers have come together on 5 December to celebrate and to reconfirm these ideals, like the 40,000 volunteers in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, who signed a banner and made a commitment to keep their city clean.

The International Year of Volunteers will highlight the contributions of volunteers-yet it also provides the opportunity to make the world a better place for volunteers. "IYV 2001 is not just about celebration-it's also about change," said UNV Executive Coordinator Sharon Capeling-Alakija. The beginning of IYV has already opened chances for change. In UNV's host country, for example, German President Johannes Rau identified training, proper insurance and the legal status of volunteers as challenges to be tackled.

Ahead of us lie 12 months of unique opportunity to enable volunteers to contribute even more to making the world a better place. Let's seize it. It's our time!