It has been quite a year! Working in partnership with many organizations, we are seizing opportunities to raise the visibility of volunteerism and recognize its contribution; to encourage and honour civic engagement; to help strengthen civil society; and thereby to strengthen ourselves and the communities in which we live. Read

It is with great pleasure that I address the Second World Assembly on Ageing from the perspective of volunteering and older persons. The motive for this Assembly is a "society for all ages" and one area of human endeavour which crosses all age groups is voluntary action. Read

"Early last year I received a letter from the World Meteorological Organization which came as a surprise--a most pleasant surprise. UNV in its role as focal point for the international year of volunteers, we call it IYV 2001, had called for proposals from UN organizations for marking the year. Much to my astonishment, the most enthusiastic response to the decision of the UN General Assembly to designate 2001 the year of the volunteer, came from WMO." Read

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." Read

Hong Kong/Beijing: Address by Sharon Capeling-Alakija, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers on the occasion of the official launch of the Hong Kong, China Committee on UNV. Read