Tokyo, Japan: During her first official visit to Japan, UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri paid tribute to outgoing UNV Honorary Ambassador Takehito Nakata, calling him “a source of inspiration for tens of thousands of volunteers and future volunteers”. Read

Tokyo, Japan: We are gathered here today to honour Mr Takehito Nakata who has been serving as the sole Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations Volunteers programme for 15 years. Read

Takehito Nakata is to retire as an honorary ambassador of the UN Volunteers (UNV) program on April 8--the 15th anniversary of the day his son, Atsuhito, was shot dead at the age of 25 while working as a UN election monitor in Cambodia. Read

...in East Timor last month as one of about 380 United Nations volunteers there to provide support for the country's parliamentary election on June 30... Read

Tokyo, Japan: Mr. Takehito Nakata received the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Certification of Commendation for 2006, which recognizes him for his contribution to Japan's international relations. Read

Bonn, Germany: The various ways volunteers are helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is the focus of the UN Volunteers (UNV) programme’s exhibit at the first World Exposition in Aichi, Japan. Running since March, the Expo 2005 to date has seen participation of some 40 UN agencies and 121 countries. Read

Ten years and two days ago, Kobe and its surrounding region suffered a terrifying earthquake killing over 6.400 people. It injured some 40.000 and left over 300,000 homeless. Over a million people responded by volunteering their time, skills, energy and compassion to help out. Read

Kobe, Japan: Addressing senior United Nations and government officials at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) in Japan, UN Volunteers Executive Coordinator Ad de Raad today set forth a series of recommendations to strengthen volunteers’ engagement in disaster preparedness and response efforts. Read

Kobe, Japan: Disaster risk management policies and programmes must include local volunteers and support them in their crucial role in prevention of and response to natural and human-induced calamities. Read

Bonn, Germany: The impact of the tsunamis that hit the Indian Ocean region two weeks ago has been lessened in areas where United Nations agencies have been able to implement disaster risk mitigation programmes, said Ad de Raad, Executive Coordinator of the UN Volunteers (UNV) programme, to journalists here. Read