by Chiponda Chimbelu

21 September 2010

Bonn, Germany: From 20 to 22 September, close to 140 heads of State and government are expected to attend the three-day summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

“The MDGs are difficult and ambitious, but doable,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a press conference on Monday 13 September. However, many countries, especially in Africa, are not meeting the targets and challenges remain, he added.

And the financial crisis has not helped. According to the 2010 United Nations Volunteer (UNV) programme Executive Board Report, the food and financial crises have hampered development and the achievement of the MDGs. At the same time, the current situation has highlighted the essential role of volunteerism in providing participatory, sustainable, capacity-enhancing cost-effective solutions, the report also says.
 
Last year, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon affirmed the significance of volunteerism in a statement on International Volunteer Day (IVD) which falls on 5 December: “[Volunteerism] is among society’s most vital assets,” he said.
 
As the 2015 deadline to achieving the MDGs approaches, it is certain that volunteerism will be significant as a resource that can contribute to this goal. And UNV recognizes its role.

“Let us embrace the theme of ‘Volunteering for the MDGs’ as our own way to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism on 5 December [2010],” said UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri.

UNV has made volunteering for one or more of the MDGs its theme for IVD 2010, reminding people around the world of the difference that they can make.  It will be an opportunity to highlight and showcase just how volunteerism is contributing to achieving the MDGs.

But this year’s IVD is also significant for another reason. It marks the launch of the tenth anniversary of the 2001 International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10), which also coincides with the European Year of Volunteering. IYV+10 will be an opportunity for people all around the world to join a global effort to reinvigorate the spirit of volunteerism.
 
Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, UNV works closely with partners and governments to establish national volunteer programmes to create structures that foster and sustain local volunteerism in countries.  Through the Online Volunteering service volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organizations over the Internet. Every day thousands of people are volunteering, online or on-site, contributing to peace and development and working to achieve the MDGs.