A case study prepared for the UNV country office in Viet Nam in October 2005 looks at the contribution of volunteerism in Viet Nam and provides evidence to support the link between volunteerism and the achievement of the MDGs in this country. Read

From 5-7 December 2004, the first International Conference on Volunteerism and the Millennium Development Goals was held in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Conference was organised jointly by the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) of Pakistan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. Read

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will require the ingenuity, solidarity and creativity of many millions of ordinary people through voluntary action. Efforts on the part of governments, supported by the international community, can only complement what ultimately will depend on the full involvement of people all over the world. Read

As part of its recognition of the importance of the International Year of Volunteers, 2001 (IYV 2001), the Inter-Parliamentary Council adopted a resolution at its 168th Session in Havana urging parliaments and their members around the world to identify and adopt policies to encourage volunteerism and to establish a legislative framework supportive of voluntary action from a good governance perspective. Read

This document illustrates well how the solidarity and creativity of millions of ordinary people, channelled through volunteerism, are key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Read