01 October 2001

High Commissioner Lubbers,
Distinguished members of the UNHCR Executive Committee,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Three weeks ago a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon shook the world. Since then we have struggled to come to grips with images of devastation, suffering and grief which will forever be engraved on our collective memory. But there are also other images that permeate this tragedy, like a shaft of light: the sight of the volunteers who rushed to places of destruction to offer their help. Joined in an extraordinary effort, they have rescued survivors and are recovering the bodies of those who perished. They have removed tons of debris and are counseling traumatized eyewitnesses and rescue workers. And they have patiently lined up in long queues to donate blood for the injured.

Some volunteers did not tear down debris, but they raised the morale of those digging in at New York's "ground zero". Caught up in such a numbing situation, they proved that they could do something. Whether they were movie stars raising over $ 200 million (dollars) for victims, New Yorkers giving blood or pouring coffee, or those energetically cheering on the efforts of other volunteers, they all made their mark. Some even made the headlines.

Indeed, because of the tremendous media coverage of this epic calamity, many volunteers were seen and recognized for their professional and thoughtful actions. And perhaps as a result, the world will think differently about volunteering in the future.

Sadly, however, there are in developing countries millions of other, often poor, volunteers, who are beneath the water line of visibility -- they never make the news. They may assist refugees in camps, build schools, dig wells or work as good neighbours through crises in a spirit of self-help and reciprocity. We are paying tribute to all these millions of dedicated volunteers worldwide during this, the International Year of Volunteers. The UN Volunteer programme is proud to be taking up the UN General Assembly's call to serve as focal point for this year.

Some unsung volunteer-heroes come from the country that is currently on everyone's mind: Afghanistan. Last week, the UN Secretary General and the heads of UN agencies appealed for and got strong international backing to receive and assist Afghani refugees. All of you in this room are bracing for what could become the first massive wave of refugees in this millennium. While we contemplate global strategies for refugee care, let's also draw attention to the volunteer heroes and heroines among the ranks of refugees. Women, I might add, spearhead many of the volunteer initiatives in refugee camps. The following examples remind us that we must take further steps to break the silence that has enveloped refugee women throughout the world.

In Pakistan, a group of Afghan refugee women called "Vehicle of Service", assists young widows and female heads of households. Under Sharia law, as you know, women are not able to get out in public unless a male family member accompanies them. So, Vehicle of Service volunteers help these women by distributing goods or meeting other needs.

Also in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan, groups of older women refugees, called the Golden Memories, meet with young people in schools in an effort to preserve traditions and cultural values. They tell stories about their former life in Afghanistan, their history and their current lives as refugees. These are important gestures, as most of the children left Afghanistan at a very young age and are without any recollection of their home country.

Countless women and men have volunteered to broaden the support for refugees. UN Volunteers represent a tiny fraction of this global volunteer force. And we value our work with UNHCR. Over the past 10 years, some 1,500 UN Volunteers have contributed their skills to UNHCR's important work of refugee reception, transportation, repatriation and protection. International and national UN Volunteers are often the essential members of UNHCR's teams, who go into the field on a daily basis.

At this very moment, UN Volunteers are on standby, ready to assist Afghani refugees along the border of Pakistan. Some of these are drawn from a special roster under an agreement reached between our organizations last year for the rapid mobilization and deployment of UN Volunteers to UNHCR operations worldwide.

UNV identifies candidates who can be mobilized, at short notice, for any UNHCR operation. Most of these candidates have prior UNCHR training and experience, often as former national staff members. They can step in quickly, as protection officers, camp managers and logistics officers. We are pleased to have jointly developed this special roster, which efficiently delivers a good return on UNHCR's previous training investments.

As we look ahead to volunteers in future refugee situations, we can think back on a solid tradition of cooperation, one that led UNHCR to present UNV with the prestigious Nansen Award last December. We are most honored by this special recognition. Building on that foundation, and recognizing that special times require special measures, I would leave you with some other ideas about how we can collaborate. One way is to use UN Volunteers to mobilize and train refugee-volunteers in camps. A second would be to recruit UNV gender specialists to join UNHCR field operations to strengthen capacity in addressing the gender dimensions in crisis situations. Finally, as you are aware, the private sector is showing increased interest in volunteer initiatives. Corporate volunteers and donations are potential sources of assistance UNV may be able to help to attract to meet the needs of refugees in UNHCR missions.

It is time to broaden volunteer support to refugees through proven approaches and innovative ideas. UN Volunteers remain on standby.

Thank you.