Dili, East Timor: Today at 7 a.m., teams of Timorese polling staff and their UN Volunteer partners opened 248 polling centres throughout East Timor. It is expected that before the closure of the centres at 4 p.m., more than 400,000 Timorese men and women will have cast their ballot to elect 88 representatives who will, in turn, form a Constituent Assembly. Read

Bonn, Germany: On the eve of East Timor's historic elections, the head of the Bonn-based United Nations Volunteers (UNV), Sharon Capeling-Alakija, commended the work of 284 United Nations Volunteers in helping prepare the polls, often under "very difficult circumstances". Read

Bonn, Germany: Tomorrow, exactly two years after the historic referendum for independence from Indonesia, over 400,000 men and women in East Timor will once again cast their votes. Read

Dili, EAST TIMOR: UN Volunteers attached to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) Civil Registry Unit on 23 June completed a drive to register the territory's civilian population. Read

UNV plays an increasingly pivotal role in mobilizing volunteers and promoting volunteerism. The 5,090 UN Volunteers who served in 2001 throughout the developing world and in countries in economic transition represent development cooperation at its finest. Read

The year 2001 was business unusual and extraordinary for the UNV programme. It was our 30th anniversary as an organization and our fifth consecutive record year - 5,090 UN Volunteers from 160 countries taking up 5,432 assignments in 140 developing nations and countries in economic transition. UNV also built up its largest single presence ever, in East Timor. At the time of the Constituent Assembly polls on 31 August, over 900 UN Volunteers from 96 countries were supporting the East Timor Public Administration, including electoral processes, and carrying out a range of activities nationwide as part of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). Read

BONN: One of the most inspiring moments for UNV during 2000 came in September when Australian Kate Bandler, a UN Volunteer serving in East Timor, lifted high the Olympic Torch and ran it proudly for 400 metres in the outskirts of Sydney. One of two UN representatives in the relay, Kate joined a chain of runners bringing the torch through 1,000 townsin the 100 days leading into the Olympic Games - a massive undertaking brought to life by tens of thousands of volunteers. Read

Dili, East Timor: Sixty United Nations Volunteers arrived in East Timor today to prepare and conduct elections scheduled for 30 August. Another group of 60 UN Volunteers, currently in an orientation programme in Darwin, Australia, is expected to arrive on 27 May. Read

New York, USA: Theresa Kambobe, a Zambian United Nations Volunteer (UNV) and gender specialist attached to the United Nations Transitional Administration of East Timor (UNTAET), is a panellist for an International Women's Day special event entitled "Women and Peace", which will be held at UN Headquarters on 8 March 2001 from 10:40a.m to 12:00 noon in Conference Room 3. Read

Dili, EAST TIMOR: Eighty-one United Nations Volunteers arrived in East Timor today to begin registering the population in each of the territory's 13 provinces. Following the deployment of an advance team of 50 UN Volunteers in December 2000, their arrival completes the Civil Registration Team of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). Read