05 December 2002

Bonn, Germany: Volunteer associations and individual volunteers should merge their strengths to meet emerging development challenges facing the world in the years ahead, Sharon Capeling-Alakija, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) said today in a message marking the annual International Volunteer Day (IVD).

"This International Volunteer Day marks the first anniversary of the close of the International Year of Volunteers 2001 (IYV), which helped put volunteerism on national agendas and in the minds of many more people worldwide," she said. "On each 5 December that follows, we should take time to reflect on the achievements of IYV and look forward to new, collective challenges in voluntary action, including how we can help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)."

She said volunteering is about people helping, learning and actively participating in communities. "Next door or at the far end of the globe, volunteers help when disaster strikes. They promote human rights. They help generate an income for the poor. They support gender equality. They count votes. They are a vital part of caring communities," she noted.

Referring to the massive assistance provided by tens of thousands of volunteers this year in fighting devastating floodwaters in Asia and central Europe, she said emergency and development challenges require dedicated, coordinated action. She singled out organizations and networks which help to channel volunteer effort towards bringing about relief or a better quality of life for millions of people. These actors include governments, community-based and non-governmental organizations, schools and universities, religious institutions, sporting unions and volunteer associations. "While each group can make a tremendous impact on its own, achievements can be multiplied many times over when coalitions are built to advance the cause of volunteerism at national and international levels," she said.

UNV's Executive Coordinator also took the occasion to introduce a global web portal on volunteerism -- a "new collaborative initiative to highlight volunteer contributions" for development. "Building on the momentum of the International Year of Volunteers, the portal (www.worldvolunteerweb.org) provides an opportunity for partners to feed information, provide mutual support and fuel volunteer advocacy around the globe. The time is right for volunteers to come together on-line and on-site."