The idea of an International Year of Volunteers (IYV) is first introduced within the United Nations system in 1996 at a Policy Forum in Japan hosted by the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) and the United Nations University (UNU). The concept is further developed at round-table discussions between volunteer organizations, such as the International Association for Volunteer Efforts (IAVE), the European Volunteer Centre (EVC) and the World Young Women's Christian Associations (YWCA).

July 1997

A resolution calling for an International Year of Volunteers (IYV) is proposed to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the support of UNV and the Government of Japan on 22 July.

November 1997

On 20 November 1997, the UN General Assembly, in its 52nd session, adopts Resolution A/RES/52/17 declaring 2001 the International Year of Volunteers. It is co-sponsored by 123 member states.

The United Nations Volunteers programme, which celebrates its 30th anniversary during 2001, is designated focal point for the Year. IYV's main objectives are defined as the recognition, promotion, facilitation and networking of volunteer efforts worldwide. The main donor countries providing financial support to UNV in carrying out its function as IYV focal point include Belgium, Italy and Japan. Canada, France and Germany provide additional support to help set up Team IYV at UNV headquarters to promote the Year.

December 1998

The IYV web site (www.iyv2001.org) is launched on 5 December, International Volunteer Day. This interactive web site expands in its role as a networking tool for volunteer groups around the world. It provides the IYV logo, slide presentations, press releases as well as research and policy documents on volunteering.

Since 1998, almost 18,000 volunteer individuals and organizations register on the IYV web site and 50 national IYV web sites are created to help local volunteers prepare for 2001.

April 1999

The Canadian IYV Leaders Forum in Montebello, Quebec on 20-21 April is the first nationwide conference on IYV where volunteer stakeholders examine the history of successful UN-designated international years. Forum participants draw up a plan for IYV 2001 based on proven approaches from past UN years. National conferences on volunteerism are also to take place in Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Portugal and Singapore.

June 1999

The first National IYV Committee is established in the Netherlands to organize IYV-related activities. The IYV Committees are bodies composed of government representatives, the media, the private sector, academia and civil society. Some Committees have used the Year to focus on a particular issue. In Rwanda, the National IYV Committee focuses on efforts to combat poverty. In Kenya, volunteers promote steps to eradicate malaria - the number one cause of death in Africa. Other Committees, such as the one in Guinea, form permanent national volunteer centres.

Weeks before the end of IYV 2001, there are 123 National IYV Committees on six continents.

August 1999

The first IYV Regional Workshop, in Paramaribo, Suriname from 19-21 August, gathers representatives from governments, civil society and the UN within the Caribbean region to set an agenda for the Year's activities. The IYV Regional Workshops are organized by the UNV programme and funded by the Government of Japan. Seven additional regional workshops take place in 2000 and 2001, in: Hua Hin, Thailand (3-4 May 2000); Pretoria, South Africa (27-29 June 2000); Rabat, Morocco (5-6 October 2000); Lagos, Nigeria (26-28 October 2000); Guatemala City, Guatemala (26-27 October 2000); Dhaka, Bangladesh (2-3 November 2000) and Almaty, Kazakhstan (10-11 May 2001).

A similar initiative is carried out from 24 to 26 February 2001 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, by the SOROS Foundation, which promotes democracy in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

October 1999

The New York Association for Volunteer Administration and UNV establish the first IYV City Committee. Near the end of 2001, there are 10 IYV City Committees, in: Buenos Aires, Argentina; Choibalsan, Mongolia; Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China; Madrid, Spain; Munich, Germany; New York, USA; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Prague, the Czech Republic; Braj (parts of Uttar Pradesh) and in Hyderabad, India.

June/July 2000

In its final report, the UN General Assembly Special Session on the Outcome and Follow-up to the World Summit on Social Development, convened from 26 June - 1 July in Geneva, Switzerland, recognizes volunteering as an area of concern in the field of social development. These deliberations follow a round-table discussion of the UNV-convened Expert Working Group. Meeting from 29 to 30 November 1999, the Group had formulated recommendations based on a paper on volunteering and social development written by Dr. Justin Davis Smith of the UK-based Institute for Volunteering Research.

September/ October 2000

The Olympic Movement recognizes the contribution of volunteers. During the prelude to the Sydney Olympic Games, a UN Volunteer runs with the Olympic Torch.

Volunteer support by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stems from a symposium held from 24 to 26 November of 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland. On this occasion, the IOC pledged to recognize the role of volunteers at the Olympics and in the world of sports.

November 2000

The official opening ceremony of IYV 2001 takes place at UN Headquarters in New York on 28 November. At the event, UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan states: "At the heart of volunteerism are the ideals of service and solidarity and the belief that together we can make the world better. In that sense, we can say that volunteerism is the ultimate expression of what the United Nations is all about."

From 29-30 November, UNV organizes, with active support from the Netherlands Government, the Hague Round Table in the Netherlands - a gathering of volunteer experts - to further develop a document to be submitted for discussion at the 39th session of the UN Commission for Social Development. The Round Table results in a report entitled "Below the Waterline of Public Visibility", which highlights the significance of volunteering in public policy and encourages governments to maximize the contribution of volunteers.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appoints the former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, as the first IYV Eminent Person to help raise the profile of millions of volunteers working for peace and development around the world. Other IYV Eminent Persons are to follow: Spain's Crown Prince Felipe of Asturias, the founder of the Body Shop, Anita Roddick, and the former Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Nafis Sadik.

December 2000

The UN General Assembly adopts its second UN resolution, "International Year of Volunteers", which is co-sponsored by 60 countries on 4 December in New York. Taking into account the valuable contribution of volunteering to social and economic development, the resolution calls for two plenary meetings at the 56th session of the General Assembly on 5 December 2001. It also requests the UN Secretary-General to submit a report on ways governments and the UN system can support volunteering. Furthermore, it requests the UN Secretary-General to report on the outcome of IYV and its follow-up to be presented at the 57th Session of the General Assembly in 2002.

Over 100 countries join in celebrations to mark International Volunteer Day (IVD) on 5 December and to launch 2001 as the UN International Year of Volunteers. Volunteer enthusiasts launch a diversified range of activities. For example, in Kampala, Uganda, parliamentarians plant an IYV forest for volunteers. In Natal, Brazil, a rocket bearing the IYV logo along with a special tribute message for volunteers soars into outer space, and in the Philippines, a media campaign is launched in December - the annual national volunteer month.

Other non-governmental organizations celebrate the launch at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters: the IYV Joint Action Campaign, a group of five European volunteer organizations representing over 400 groups, launches its volunteer advocacy campaign in Paris.

On 14 December, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) awards the UNV programme its Nansen Medal, which is presented each year to those who have distinguished themselves in refugee work.

During IYV 2001, other UN agencies highlight the efforts of volunteers. UNDP, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), UNFPA, The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA), the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) pay tribute to their volunteers though web sites and various publications.

Three major UN events - the Third UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries, the General Assembly Session on Habitat (Istanbul +5) and the annual Department of Public Information/NGO Conference - acknowledge the contributions of volunteers in the course of 2001.

January 2001

The XVI IAVE World Volunteer Conference held from 14-18 January in Amsterdam, Netherlands, gathers 1,000 participants from 100 countries to partake in seminars, workshops and presentations designed to strengthen national and local volunteer centres.

His Highness Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Quasimi, ruler of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, establishes the Sharjah Prize for volunteer work on the occasion of IYV 2001. Other awards taken up in the context of IYV 2001 are presented in Canada and Sri Lanka.

The Council of Europe, on 24 January, adopts recommendations on IYV in order to promote volunteerism through legislation and policy and remove legal obstacles hindering people from engaging in voluntary action. It also calls for a European Day of Volunteerism. Volunteering is encouraged in other European fora: On 28 September 2000, the European Senior Volunteers Conference is hosted at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. The European Commission promotes the ideals of volunteering among young people. On 21 May 2001 the European Economic and Social Committee host the European Youth Convention on Volunteering. This Convention provides input into a resolution that is to be submitted for approval to the youth ministers of all European Union Member States at the Council of Ministers on Youth on 29 November 2001 in Ghent, Belgium.

February 2001

In an effort to facilitate research on volunteer activity worldwide, UNV and INDEPENDENT SECTOR, a US-based non-profit organization, develop a methodology to measure the economic contribution of volunteering. "Measuring Volunteering: A Practical Toolkit" is launched on 15 February. During 2001, it is to be used or adapted in Botswana, China, Lao PDR, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Research on volunteering also takes shape in Cambodia, Madagascar, Namibia, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.

At the 39th session of the UN Commission for Social Development from 15-23 February, 50 member states co-sponsor a resolution on "Volunteering and Social Development", which lists specific ways governments and the UN system can support volunteering.

March 2001

The first IYV song, "Not All About Money", is released by reggae artist Tony Rebel in Jamaica. During the Year, 27 musicians dedicate songs to IYV 2001. Team IYV compiles these and releases an IYV album.

World Meteorological Day on 23 March is dedicated to volunteers who have made significant contributions to meteorology, hydrology and the related geophysical sciences.

The UN Postal Administration issues a series of six commemorative postage stamps for IYV 2001. Australia, Bhutan, Ecuador, Egypt, Honduras, Japan, Mali, Mexico and the Netherlands also issue IYV stamps.

April 2001

The 140 countries forming the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) adopt a resolution, "Support to the United Nations International Year for Volunteer: 2001" on 7 April. The resolution urges parliamentarians to hold national consultations with volunteer stakeholders to identify and promote pro-volunteer policies.

Global Youth Service Day on 12 April mobilizes young volunteers in order to celebrate, recognize and encourage their continued contributions to communities.

May 2001

A Canadian 10-cent coin showcasing volunteers is issued, giving recognition to volunteer mothers whose efforts led to the development of the polio vaccination.

The theme for this year's International Day of Families on 15 May is "Families and Volunteers: Building Social Cohesion".

The Government of Viet Nam proclaims 2001 a "Year for Everybody to volunteer to support children in special circumstances." Governments of Argentina, Barbados, China, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Spain, Thailand and Ukraine also proclaim wide-ranging volunteer decrees during 2001.

July 2001

In France, 2 July marks the 100th anniversary of the "law of associations" that created a legal status of associations whose work is largely carried out by volunteers. During IYV 2001, the French Government develops a law on volunteering and social cohesion. Lawmakers in Germany, Spain and the UK pass similar legislation, while new laws are proposed in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal, Senegal and Tanzania.

A workshop on volunteering and poverty reduction is organized by UNV on 4-5 July in Geneva, Switzerland. The discussions are based on a background paper commissioned by UNV and prepared by CERFE, an Italian social research institute.

The World Conference on Civil Protection and Volunteerism on 14 July in Napoli-Caserta, Italy, develops an international plan to mobilize volunteers to respond to international disasters.

September 2001

The clothing manufacturer Benetton and UN Volunteers launch a joint advertisement campaign. Benetton's COLORS magazine profiles volunteers from every walk of life, and advertisements featuring volunteers appear on billboards, posters and publications in 50 countries.

As UNVNews went to press the following events were foreseen:

October 2001

The first IYV Francophone Regional Workshop to be held from 28 to 31 October in Dakar, Senegal, is to discuss volunteering in the African context and strategize for volunteer activities beyond 2001.

November 2001

The 2001 International Conference on Volunteering, sponsored jointly by the Chinese National IYV Committee and UNDP/UNV, is to be held from 7 to 9 November in Beijing, China.

The International Symposium on Volunteering, which is to take place from 18 to 21 November in Geneva, Switzerland, is to gather representatives from all the IYV national Committees to discuss the outcomes of IYV 2001 and to provide input in a common statement to be presented at the December 2001 session of the General Assembly.

December 2001

This year's World AIDS Day (1 December) event at UN Headquarters in New York will highlight the contribution of volunteers in the prevention of and response to HIV/AIDS.

The IAVE World Youth Volunteer Summit to be held from 1 to 5 December in Tokyo, Japan, is to gather 600 participants from all over the world.

On 5 December, the 56th session of the General Assembly in New York is to hold two sessions on ways governments and the UN system can support volunteering.

The closing of the Year will be celebrated globally on 5 December - the annual International Volunteer Day.

2002

Final results of an IYV review conducted by the Institute for Volunteering Research in the UK and the Development Resource Centre in South Africa will be released as part of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's report on the outcomes of IYV 2001.