01 February 2001

Dear President Samaranch,
Representatives of the National Olympic Committees,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to launch the International Year of Volunteers 2001 here today in the context of the Olympic Movement.

Taking place between the Summer and Winter Games--Sydney 2000 and Salt Lake City 2002--the International Year of Volunteers is an Olympics of a third kind: Just as it is true of the Olympic Movement, the United Nations international year aims to encourage "a way of life based on the joy found in effort, on the powerful and educational value of good example and respect for fundamental universal principles."

The year of volunteers is like the Olympic Games--part of a permanent, ongoing effort. It is universal, covering all continents, and while volunteers don't compete against each other, they do indeed face great challenges and perform against great odds.

On behalf of the United Nations Volunteers programme which was designated the focal point for this international year by the UN General Assembly, I would like to invite all of you today to join in these "volunteer olympics" 2001.

The world of sports and the world of volunteers are closely interlinked. What would Olympic games be without their tens of thousands of volunteers? They not only provide a host of invaluable services and organizational support, volunteers also create a bond between the Olympic family and the host community and thus help install the spirit of international solidarity that is so evident at the Olympic Games.

But equally, at the community level, volunteerism and sports bring people together in this same spirit of solidarity. My own childhood memories as a volunteer are closely associated with sports: as a ref, a coach, a host of visiting teams as well as a campaigner to raise funds to build a bigger swimming pool at the local YMCA in my hometown on the Canadian prairies.

The almost 5,000 United Nations Volunteers who serve annually around the world for development and peace also understand the galvanizing power of sports. Just recently, a UNV volunteer from Brazil joined the group of 700 plus United Nations Volunteers currently working in East Timor. He will be the coach of the national soccer team. How important sports are for this young nation was demonstrated when their athletes participated last year's summer games. Probably none of us will forget the uplifting moments when they were cheered by the Sydney audience.

I am aware that the IOC also renders assistance to the development of sports in East Timor. When an IOC delegation visited there last week, it was evident how highly this is appreciated by the East Timorese as a contribution to national reconciliation and the strengthening of international relations.

It has been said that the economic value of the time volunteered at the Olympics could be compared to the overall budget of the games. It is true: volunteers are cost effective, but they don't come for free.

Volunteerism needs inspired leadership, strong coordination, good training, rigorous evaluation and a supportive infrastructure, as David Brettell reminded us in the context of the Sydney Olympics.

But above all, volunteers need recognition. The International Year of Volunteers 2001 aims at highlighting the efforts of the millions of people around the world who act in the spirit of solidarity.

Join us in fostering and in celebrating this spirit. It is not only the very foundation of the United Nations--it also lies at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

Thank you.