Beijing, China: Experts on volunteering from 26 countries Tuesday called on governments and the United Nations to encourage the use of voluntary action "in addressing the full range of development challenges". Read

Midrand, South Africa: Volunteers from Southern African countries gathered for two days, from 16 to 17 May, to consolidate a network of organizations established during the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) 2001. The conference gathered participants from seven Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to explore ways to strengthen cooperation and to prepare for volunteer discussion at the upcoming African Union Head of State and Government meeting, this July, and the World Summit for Sustainable Development (Rio +10), this August in Johannesburg. Read

Madrid, Spain: Carrying forward momentum from the International Year of Volunteers 2001 (IYV), government representatives and UN officials addressing this week's Second World Assembly on Ageing called for further initiatives to urge the world's older persons to take up active roles in society through volunteer action. Read

New York, U.S.A.: United Nations Volunteers (UNV) will commemorate its 30th anniversary in a special event to be held at 3 p.m., 21 June in Conference Room 2 at UN Headquarters. The media is invited. 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

Bonn, Germany: Following years of conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), young men have been standing in line to say no - no to compulsory military duty and yes to voluntary civil service. The call for the right to be a conscientious objector has been strongest among men who went into exile in European countries during the war. Read

Bonn, Germany: Volunteer activists in more than 110 countries have already formed over 130 committees at the start of the International Year of Volunteers 2001 (IYV 2001), the largest celebration of volunteerism ever conceived. Read

Geneva, Switzerland: A record 4,383 mid-career professionals served with the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) in 1999 on development projects and in the expanding areas of electoral support and humanitarian relief, according to UNV's Annual Report for 1999, Getting to the People. Read

New York, U.S.A.: Delia Buratto of France and Bhagwan Shrestha of Nepal have won the UNFPA/UNV Award for their outstanding work in population and development. UNFPA is the New York-based UN Population Fund, and UNV is the Bonn-based United Nations Volunteer programme. Read