20 June 2000

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.

The UN Volunteers represented 149 nationalities and worked in 139 countries, with large contingents of specialists heading off to prepare a ballot in East Timor and carry out urgent reconstruction tasks with the people of strife-torn Kosovo.

"By the thousands, UN Volunteers are getting out to where the people live, working directly with communities to help them get started down their own road to development," said UNV Executive Coordinator Sharon Capeling-Alakija. "Increasingly, we are there where people need emergency relief on short notice."

In 1998, there were 3,766 UN Volunteers carrying out assignments in most countries of the developing world.

The bulk of UNVs -- 3,041 -- served as international specialists bringing their skills and knowledge to assignments outside their countries. Thirty-six per cent of UNVs served in Africa, 31 per cent in Asia and Pacific, 16 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 12 per cent in Europe and CIS and five per cent in the Arab States.

The average specialist had 10 years of working experience. Some 36 per cent of all UN Volunteers were women.

The countries supplying the most UN Volunteers in 1999 were the Philippines, 132; Spain, 130; Belgium, 128; Japan, 118; and Nepal, 113.

The countries where the most UN Volunteers were serving in 1999 were Indonesia (including East Timor), 641; Guatemala, 223; Bosnia and Herzegovina, 189; Yugoslavia (including Kosovo), 176; and Nigeria, 117. About 64 per cent of the UNVs came from the developing world, working in their own countries, in neighboring states or further afield.

"With so many UN Volunteers from the developing countries, we can confidently say we are doing something tangible to promote South-South cooperation on a global scale," said Capeling-Alakija.

An example of the programme's ability to work in difficult circumstances was during preparations for last year's referendum in East Timor, noted Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of UNV's parent organization -- the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

"In record time, UNV fielded a competent group of 500 professionals to prepare the ballot," Malloch Brown said of the six-week recruitment exercise. "We are proud of this superb performance for the people of East Timor, who had waited so long to chart their own course."

The Annual Report highlights UNV's flexibility and adaptability as it takes advantage of the wide-ranging skills represented in different volunteer categories. As international and national specialists, they share their expertise to advance development. As field workers, they bring an intimate understanding of local concerns to fight poverty. As managerial experts under the UN Short-Term Advisory Resources scheme (UNISTAR), they advise on how to generate income and create jobs.

Since 1971, the Bonn-based UNV programme has sent out over 20,600 UN Volunteers working primarily in the areas of community-based development (such as by promoting small businesses and assisting victims of HIV/AIDS), humanitarian relief, electoral and peace-building processes and technical cooperation. Most UN Volunteers have a university education or advanced technical training.

Most of the UN Volunteers are recruited to work for requesting UN agencies, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). During 1999, UNVs served with 32 UN and international organizations. UNDP is UNV's largest single client in financial terms followed by UN Peace Operations and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The agencies involved in humanitarian relief, peace and human rights (UN, UNHCR and WFP) constitute 44.1% of the client base.

UNV's total expenditure for the year was $78.7 million. The largest share of programme expenditures is UNDP-related, followed by the UN specialized agencies and UNV funds. The UN system is UNV's largest partner. The total financial value of the volunteer months in this category was US$ 45.7 million in 1999 for programme activities.

The table below shows the main programme countries for UNV's largest clients.

Agency	Main operations/programmes
UNDP	Botswana, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania
UN	East Timor, Guatemala, Kosovo
UNHCR	Bosnia, Guinea, Rwanda
UNOPS	Burundi
WFP	Afghanistan, Guinea, Honduras, Liberia
UNICEF	Afghanistan, Lao PDR, Tanzania
Mozambique
WHO	Chad, Somalia

During 1999, UNV developed a new concept in global development: "online volunteering". It provides a new component to voluntary service, as database experts, graphic artists, human rights advocates, attorneys, translators and others can contribute from their home computers to individuals and organizations on the other side of the world.

Since late last year, UNV has developed an online volunteering module that has been posted on the Netaid.org web site app.netaid.org/OV, UNDP's major online effort to raise funds and public awareness to fight poverty. Internet surfers and would-be volunteers can log on, browse requests for volunteer services and get involved.

UNV also intensified its activities as focal point for the International Year of Volunteers (IYV2001), which is to be launched in New York and in countries around the world on 5 December 2000. The year provides a unique opportunity for the organization to expand its role as the volunteer arm of the United Nations and, along with its traditional and newer partners, to promote the goals of volunteerism everywhere. A team of IYV promoters working from Bonn, Geneva, Brussels and New York has developed online and onsite tools to assist volunteers in setting up national committees to commemorate the year. Further information is available on the IYV web site at www.iyv2001.org.