Bonn, Germany: As the United Nations commemorates the third International Day of UN Peacekeepers on 29 May, paying tribute to those who serve in peacekeeping operations, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) are also being honoured for their dedication and courage in helping improve the lives of millions of people in war-torn and post-conflict countries across the globe. Read

Dili, Timor-Leste: Following months of intense preparation, Timor-Leste is ready to count its citizens. On Sunday, 11 July, some 3,800 field staff, including UN Volunteers, will start the estimated three week process of travelling throughout the country to count people in more than 180,000 households. Read

Dili, Timor-Leste: A team of 18 UN Volunteers have been mobilized to support Timor-Leste’s first census since independence in 2002. Read

Monrovia: Tiago dos Reis becomes the second Timorese to serve as a United Nations Volunteer (UNV) by joining the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Read

Dili, Timor-Leste: When one mentions the name of the world’s newest state, Timor-Leste, the one thing that immediately comes to mind is the civil strife that engulfed the country in 1999, as the people chose independence. The unrest has left behind deep scars, not just physically, but also on people’s souls. Timor-Leste, like most post-conflict states, faces enormous social, economic and political challenges. As the people face these challenges a bright ray of hope shines across the country.
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Bonn, Germany: In a visit to the headquarters of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in Bonn, Germany, Kamalesh Sharma, the UN's Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste, emphasized the need for continued support and presence of UN Volunteers in the world's newest nation. Read

Bonn, Germany: The year 2002 saw the birth of a nation and the climax of the largest operation in UNV’s 31-year history – both in Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor). UNV’s engagement in the former Portuguese colony began just prior to a UN-organized ballot held on 30 August 1999, at which time the vast majority of East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia. Read

Dili, Timor-Leste: A special mission of officials from the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Headquarters in Bonn, Germany, ended a four-day mission on 23 November. Read

Bonn, Germany: The United Nations Volunteer (UNV) programme recently assisted in carrying out Timor-Leste's (formerly East Timor) first National Immunization Day (NID) campaign against polio. Read

BONN: For generations, the coastal communities in East Timor have relied on a wide range of fish - large tuna, flying fish, coral reef fish and deepwater snappers which abound along the 600 kilometres of East Timor's coastline - for their livelihoods. Ninety per cent of the East Timorese coastal fleet, fishing gear and on-shore infrastructure was destroyed during the violent fighting that broke out between opponents and supporters of independence after an overwhelming majority of East Timorese had voted for sovereignty in the UN-organized Popular Consultation Ballot held on 30 August 1999. Thousands of people fled the territory. Read