28 January 2009

Geneva, Switzerland: Hikmat Nabulsi, Executive Coordinator of UNV from 1977 to 1987, has died aged 82.

The third person to take charge at UNV, Mr. Nabulsi joined the organization in its sixth year of operations. It then had fewer than 400 volunteers in the field.

Under his tenure, the number of UNV volunteers more than tripled, passing the 1,000 mark. Mr. Nabulsi was the first to appoint Programme Officers to oversee the work of country teams and represented UNV to partners at the country level.

UNV's current Executive Coordinator, Flavia Pansieri, said: "I remember travelling with Hikmat Nabulsi all over China, when he came to visit UNV activities there and I was the Programme Officer and UNV focal point in UNDP. He left a big mark on the organization and was a visionary and inspiring leader of UNV over many years."

A Syrian national, Mr. Nabulsi took the lead when the UN designated 5 December as International Volunteer Day. UNV remains the international focal point for International Volunteer day, which continues to be celebrated across the globe.

During his decade as the head of UNV, Mr. Nabulsi also oversaw the First UNV High-Level Symposium on Volunteerism and Development held in Sana'a, Yemen. The Sana'a Declaration confirmed the vital contribution of volunteers to development work and commended UNV's role as a custodian of the concept of international volunteer service.

In 2001, Dr. Nafis Sadik, Eminent Person for the International Year of Volunteers, described Mr. Nabulsi's leadership in glowing terms: "When Hikmat Nabulsi took the helm of the UNV ship, he set sail for countries far and wide, tirelessly travelling, spreading the good news about UNV, and really establishing its presence on the international scene," he said.

"His kindness, humility, and concern and care for all people contributed an added dimension to his work with volunteers the world over. This, along with his persistence, vision and strength of character helped him steer UNV towards even greater visibility and success."

Mr. Nabulsi continued to take an interest in volunteerism long after he had left UNV. In his own statement issued for the International Year of Volunteers in 2001, he said: "Volunteer service is now as widespread, varied, and innovative in approach as are the peoples and points of view co-existing on this globe. The international community need no longer be sceptical of volunteers' relevance to developing countries' economic needs or of volunteers' contribution to UN efforts to promote world peace. Nor need host governments and local communities question volunteer practicality or doubt the relevance of volunteer expertise."

Much of this achievement was down to the leadership of Hikmat Nabulsi.