01 March 2001

BONN: UNV: Through the years

1970:

The United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) is launched by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2659 (XXV) in recognition of the importance of volunteer service in development work and the need to broaden the range of technical cooperation.

1971:

January:

UNV begins its operations.

Assad K. Sadry of Iran is named first Coordinator of the programme.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) carries out general administration. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

September:

The first UN Volunteers arrive in Yemen. In total, 41 UN Volunteers, mostly from the industrialized world, are assigned to five countries during UNV's first year.

1972:

UNV headquarters is moved from New York to Geneva.

1973:

The number of UN Volunteers in service rises to 130.

The UN General Assembly asks the Coordinator to make renewed efforts to recruit a larger proportion of the volunteers from developing countries.

1974:

UNV itself assumes responsibility for recruitment, which had previously been sub-contracted to outside volunteer organizations.

John Gordon of Canada becomes UNV Coordinator.

1975:

The UNV Newsletter is launched.

The number of UN Volunteers reaches 268.

1976:

The UNV mandate is expanded by the UN General Assembly:

Resolution 31/131 designates UNV as a major operational unit of the UN in executing youth programmes, in order to increase youth participation in the development process. Subsequently, UNV launches a regional youth project in Latin America.

Resolution 31/166 sets up a new programme within UNV, Domestic Development Services (DDS). Through DDS, indigenous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local agencies that foster self-reliance at the community level are strengthened. The programme is based on the recognition that many benefits can be derived from the exchange of skills and experience within regions and the participation of every member of a community. UNV field workers UN Volunteers create or empower local groups of youth, women and farmers. Relevant training is provided, insights are shared and possibilities for funding and other help are explored. The DDS programme is first implemented in Asia and the Pacific in 1979 and extended to Africa in 1984.

1977:

Hikmat Nabulsi of the Syrian Arab Republic is appointed UNV Coordinator. He is urged by the UNDP Governing Council to expand the programme to its full potential. With the number of serving UN Volunteers at 307, two targets are set: 400 volunteers in the field by 1978 and 500 by 1979.

1978:

In Asia and the Pacific, a major regional project within the DDS programme begins with a workshop convened by UNV.

1979:

There are 639 UN Volunteers in the field, well exceeding the target of 500. The UN General Assembly, following the recommendation of the UNDP Governing Council, sets a new target: 1,000 volunteers by 1983.

The first team of DDS field workers UN Volunteers is assigned to a DDS project in Asia.

1980:

The title of UNV Coordinator is changed to UNV Executive Coordinator.

The UNDP Governing Council commends the increasing role UNV is playing in technical cooperation activity.

1981:

UNV celebrates its tenth anniversary with continued rapid growth: in December, the General Assembly notes with satisfaction that the target of 1,000 UN Volunteers is reached ahead of schedule.

1982:

The First UNV High-Level Symposium on Volunteerism and Development is held in Sana'a, Yemen Arab Republic. The Sana'a Declaration confirms the vital contribution of volunteers to development work and commends UNV's role as a custodian of the concept of international volunteer service.

1983:

UNV institutionalizes annual consultative meetings with its cooperating organizations and national focal points in accordance with one of the recommendations of the Sana'a Declaration.

The UN General Assembly reaffirms UNV's youth mandate in the preparation for the International Year of Youth.

1984:

UNV is designated the executing agency of a regional emergency project to assist the most seriously drought-affected sub-Saharan African countries with rehabilitation. Forty-nine UN Volunteers participate in the project.

1985:

5 December becomes International Volunteer Day (IVD). The UN General Assembly invites the world community to observe this day each year to pay tribute to the contributions of all volunteers around the world. UNV is designated the international focal point for IVD.

1986:

UNV co-hosts the Second Intergovernmental Meeting on International Volunteerism and Development, in Maseru, Lesotho.

IVD is observed for the first time, in UNV's fifteenth anniversary year.

1987:

A regional DDS project begins in the South Pacific.

1988:

The UNDP Governing Council decides to fund 40 UNV Programme Officers (on volunteer terms) to backstop the work of the UN Volunteers. The first such posts are filled by the end of the year.

Brenda Gael McSweeney from the United States is appointed Executive Coordinator in November.

DDS is renamed the Participatory Development Programme.

During the year the number of UN Volunteers increases from 1,269 volunteers on 1 January to 1,534 on 31 December.

1989:

UNV holds its first Special Consultation with its various partners on a major theme of common interest, culminating in a Programme Advisory Note on the Appropriate Use of Volunteers in Development.

Twenty-two additional UNV Programme Officers are fielded, and the first biannual training course for them is held.

There are now 1,801 serving UN Volunteers; 86 per cent of these come from developing countries, 14 per cent from the industrialized world.

1990:

Filling the original 40 UNV Programme Officer posts is completed and 20 additional posts are authorized.

UN Volunteers undertake rehabilitation activities in Afghanistan and relief work in Liberia and the Gulf Region.

The organization completes 20 years of operation by passing the landmark of 2,000 UN Volunteers. The number reaches 2,055 by the end of the year. (Total since 1971: 7,451)

1991:

The first national UN Volunteer is recruited in Sudan.

UN Volunteers begin working in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention and care through a project in Zambia.

1992:

Entering the area of electoral support for the first time, 730 UN Volunteers are fielded to support the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC); most of them serve as District Electoral Supervisors. Organizing and observing elections has remained a key area of work for UN Volunteers ever since.

The Eco-volunteers and Community-based Environmental Programme is developed following the "Earth Summit" in Rio. The objective is to support environmental activists in resolving local ecological problems and to promote exchanges between community-based groups.

In 1992, the total number of UN Volunteers tops 3,000 for the first time.

1993:

UNV deploys 100 UN Volunteers to support the United Nations Operations in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) to assist the mission to demobilize armed forces and oversee the southern African country's electoral process.

UNV takes over the administration of the UN International Short-Term Advisory Resources (UNISTAR). The programme was initiated in 1985 to meet an increasing demand for short-term, highly specialized volunteer advisory services to the private and public sectors of developing countries. Since then, leading experts and managers have put their expertise as UN Volunteers to the service of countries in development to assist companies and organizations.

UNV opens the Cyprus Offshore Processing Centre in Nicosia. The Centre becomes responsible for handling enquiries from the public and for managing a resources bank of candidates available for UNV assignments.

UN Volunteer Atsuhito Nakata is tragically killed in Cambodia. Later, his father, Takehito Nakata, is named UNV's Honorary Ambassador.

1994:

Seventy-three UN Volunteers are assigned to the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA). Since then, some 330 UN Volunteers serving with MINUGUA have monitored the peace accords in the Central American country.

Close to 200 UNV Electoral Observation Support Officers assist in South Africa's first all race elections in 1994.

UNV signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Organization for Migration after close cooperation in Iran and Cambodia.

In Mozambique, 150 UN Volunteers UNV Electoral Officers help prepare elections in October as part of the UN Operation in Mozambique (UNOMOZ).

UN Volunteers coordinate more than 100 international observers to Constituent Assembly elections in Uganda.

1995:

UN Volunteers launch a community participation initiative in Cambodia's Angkor Park to protect its temples and cultural heritage dating from the 8th century.

1996:

UNV headquarters moves from Geneva to Bonn, Germany.

A total of 606 UN Volunteers from 20 countries serve under the authority of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as Electoral Supervisors during the 14 September elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the Central African Republic, UN Volunteers start up poverty eradication activities with indigenous non-governmental organizations to develop 170 micro-enterprises in areas such as agriculture and crafts.

1997:

Shortly after the UN Convention to Combat Desertification enters into force, UN Volunteers are assigned to 14 sub-Saharan countries to help implement this global accord through the development of National Desertification Action Plans.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaims 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers (IYV 2001). UNV is designated as international focal point and is to prepare the celebrations.

The fourth UNV Intergovernmental Meeting is held in Bonn. Participants discuss its UNV's new Strategy 2000, which focuses on the areas of urban development, environmental management and preventative and curative development.

UNV launches a pilot project in Malawi and Zambia to promote the greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS. For the first time, people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS take up UN Volunteer posts.

Two UN Volunteers, Delia Buratto of France and Bhagwan Shrestha of Nepal, are presented with an award for distinguished work in the field of population by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

1998:

Sharon Capeling-Alakija of Canada becomes the new Executive Coordinator of UNV.

UN Volunteers observe elections in the Central African Republic as part of the UN mission, MINURCA.

The total number of UNV assignments carried out over the course of the year exceeds 4,000.

In partnership with UNESCO, UNV starts the Cultural Heritage Volunteers initiative. The project aims to preserve monuments and support activities to safeguard cultural heritage in Croatia, Guatemala, India, Nepal, Palestine and Uzbekistan.

1999:

In June, the UNV programme fields 481 District Electoral Officers and 19 medical personnel to assist the United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) organize and implement the August 1999 popular consultation.

In September, the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) requests 200 UN Volunteers to serve as Civil Affairs Officers. An additional 100 UN Volunteers in the same category are requested in February 2000. Subsequently, 400 Registration Supervisors arrive to organize, supervise and implement the entire Kosovo electoral registration process.

The first UNV Global Workshop bringing together headquarters staff members as well as field-based Programme Officers and Administrative Assistants is held in Bad Honnef, near Bonn, Germany.

UN Volunteer Lucila Ramon from the Dominican Republic receives the World Food Programme's Annual Merit and Efficiency Award in Rome.

2000:

The United Nations Volunteers receives the Nansen Medal from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This prestigious annual award is given for outstanding services to the cause of refugees.

The Report of the Panel on UN Peace Operations (Brahimi Report) specifically recognizes the valuable contributions made by UN Volunteers in peacekeeping missions.

In his Millennium Report, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan asks UNV to take the lead in bringing together a coalition of partners to launch the United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS), which is also to be coordinated by UNV.

Working with the UNDP and Cisco Systems, UNV launches the Online Volunteering service with Netaid.org, which attracts close to 3,000 applicants in its first 10 months.

The IYV Opening Ceremony is held at UN Headquarters in New York on 28 November, followed by the Global Launch on International Volunteer Day (IVD), 5 December, with countries around the world launching parallel IYV events. By the end of 2000, volunteers have formed 124 city, state and national committees to promote the International Year of Volunteers in more than 100 countries.

In June, recommendations from an Expert Group organized by UNV on the contribution of volunteering to social development are adopted at the UN General Assembly's special session on the Outcome and Follow-up to the World Summit on Social Development (Geneva 2000). In December, the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution reaffirming the importance of volunteerism and determines that two plenary meetings at the 56th session of the General Assembly should be set aside to discuss the support that governments and the UN system could provide to volunteering.

2001:

Parliamentarians from the Council of Europe's 41 member states adopt a recommendation on the International Year of Volunteers 2001 (IYV 2001) which encourages governments to promote pro-volunteer policies and remove legal obstacles hindering people from engaging in voluntary action.

The UN Commission for Social Development, with the endorsement of 50 UN member states, approves a draft resolution on volunteering and social development that calls on governments to recognize and further study the impact of voluntary effort in society.

Spain's Crown Prince of Asturias, former Ghanaian President Jerry J. Rawlings, Dr. Nafis Sadik, the former Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the founder of the Body Shop, Anita RoddickSpain's Crown Prince, H.R.H. Philip of Bourbon, the former Ghanian President, Jerry J. Rawlings, the former Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Nafis Sadik, and the founder of the Body Shop, Anita Roddick, take up functions as Eminent Persons during IYV 2001 at the invitation of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

UNV completes its first volunteer agreement with the private sector under the United Nations Short-Term Advisory Resources (UNISTAR). Kraft employees serve as UN Volunteers in Jamaica, Lesotho and Uzbekistan.

UNV celebrates its 30th anniversary.