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Annual Report 2004/05 - Gaining Ground
Paving the way forward
The advancement of development worldwide is in many parts of the globe proceeding more slowly than hoped for. While a number of countries are making strides in meeting the MDG targets by 2015, too many others, especially those suffering from natural disasters, political instability, or the after-effects of conflict, are lagging behind. To help countries get on track, UNV contributes to constructing and reinforcing the frameworks for peace and development through mobilizing and supporting volunteer action. Whether responding to emergencies, supporting transparent and inclusive electoral processes, fostering reconciliation and reintegration, or helping strengthen institutional capacities for effective governance, UNV – and its UN Volunteers – are there.

Achieving the Goals
There can be no doubt that achieving the MDGs will also require the ingenuity, solidarity, and creativity of many millions of ordinary people through voluntary action. Efforts on the part of national governments, supported by the international community, can only complement what ultimately will depend on the full involvement of people everywhere. UNV, through its engagement with communities, volunteer involving organizations, governments and UN agencies, supports developing countries in meeting the MDG objectives – from ending extreme poverty and combating HIV/AIDS, to empowering women and ensuring every child receives a quality education.

Fuelling progress
UNV's contribution to the MDG goals will be met by engagement, through voluntary action, of many millions of citizens, says Ad de Raad, Executive Coordinator of UNV.  Read
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Uniting for Success
Message of the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mark Malloch Brown. Read
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Restoring foundations
Community volunteers of a village on the outskirts of Bukavu, a city located in South-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), construct a bridge to connect the village market to nearby towns and merchants . heavy rains have washed away the village’s main road, practically cutting it off from the rest of the region. UN Volunteer Matial Mbilizi from the DRC (background, wearing white T-shirt) works with communities to address poverty in the region. (Photo by UNV)
Disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Read
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Making Peace
UN Volunteer James Kigwa Itote of Tanzania, a water and sanitation assistant at the water treatment plant of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), supervises the production of purified and bottled water. He also manages the plant’s inventory, guaranteeing items like spare parts and chemicals for the production of drinking water are in stock. To ensure local populations and military troops n the field have safe water for cooking, cleaning, and washing, he makes routine field visits to inspect the water quality of the UN water wells. (Photo by UNV)
Bonn, Germany: More than 1,700 UN Volunteers are currently supporting UN peacekeeping operations in 11 countries worldwide. Read
Strengthening structures in 2004
A Cambodian registering for a national identity card at a civil registration point in the capital of Phnom Penh. In partnership with the development organization PLAN International, UN Volunteers supported the government’s first national mobile registration campaign by coordinating the registration process nationwide. Before the June 2004 start of the campaign, only an estimated five per cent of Cambodians had a birth certificate or citizen card.
Recognizing that good governance is the backbone of efforts to meet the MDGs, UNV assists all levels of governments and communities in reinforcing governing structures, creating space for participation and enhancing links among stakeholders. Read
More about: Governance
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Joining forces
Rural farmers from Garissa, Kenya, a town near the Somali border, are improving the irrigation of their fields through the technical advice and training they receive from UN Volunteers. Part of a larger initiative happening throughout the country, UN Volunteers work with communities to identify issues and arrive at a common resolution. The community’s recommendations are communicated to the central government, which then allocates the required human and financial resources to meet local development needs. 
(Photo by UNV)
Guidance, partnerships and measuring impact. Read
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Cultivating equality
UN Volunteer Fatima Marou is a kindergarten teacher in her home country of Niger. The school was established in the village of Karegorou, Tillabery region, through a project launched by UNDP/UNV Niger and financed by Japan. Nine kindergartens created through the project provide early childhood education to 800 children. (Photo by UNV)
Bonn, Germany: Achieving the universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, MDG 2 & 3. Read
Sustaining livelihoods
UN Volunteer Kulwant Singh of India assists female-headed households in the northern Laotian village of Hongsa to collectively improve their economic status .He provides the women with training in agriculture and animal husbandry to producehigher quality items for sale at the local market. One such method is vaccinating livestock to ward off diseases. (Photo by UNV)
Bonn, Germany: In the Tanzanian capital of Dar-es-Salaam, UNV is helping some 1,300 informal construction workers overcome poverty by accessing better paying jobs and tackling issues relating to industry regulations. Read
Safeguarding health
Through UNV’s Greater Involvement of People Living with or Affected by HIV/AIDS (GIPA) project in Cambodia, UN Volunteers work with local counterparts to sensitize staff of hospitals and government agencies on the issues faced by people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. They also recruit and train HIV-infected persons to volunteer in hospitals to support people living with HIV. At Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap province in north-western Cambodia, a mother feeds her HIV positive child a nutritious meal prepared by local volunteers. (Photo by UNV)
Bonn, Germany: Working with UNICEF in Mali, UN Volunteer Chouahibou Nchamoun of Cameroon is focused on reducing the country’s child mortality rate. Read
Promoting participation
The reconstruction of a school that was destroyed by fighters in Uganda’s Soroti district is an example of UNV’s efforts to help communities in the north of the country overcome the devastating effects of the nearly two-decade long conflict in the region.
Engagement, solidarity and inclusion. Read
Painting by numbers
UN Volunteers statistics 2004/05. Read
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Key financial statistics for 2004/05
Cash contributions to UNV in 2004. (Thousands of US$) Read
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This page can found at: http://www.unv.org/news-resources/archive/past-annual-reports/annual-report-200405-gaining-ground.html