The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can only be achieved with the full involvement of people all over the world. The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism for development (V4D). Its work includes the assignment each year of over 8000 skilled and experienced women and men to support a broad range of development programmes, which contribute to achieving the MDGs in some 140 countries around the world. Read

The environmental movement was started by volunteers, and it has thrived on volunteer effort. It will require the ingenuity and actions of millions of volunteers to address the challenges ahead.

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme encourages people to contribute to environmental sustainability by ‘volunteering for our planet’. Read

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is a global advocate of the concept of Volunteerism for Development (V4D). It works with UN entities, governments and other partners to integrate volunteerism into development planning and programmes, and mobilizes thousands of volunteers, including UNV volunteers, every year in pursuit of distinctive contributions to development effectiveness. Read

International Volunteer Day (IVD) is a chance for volunteer-involving organizations and individual volunteers to promote their contributions to development at local, national and international levels. By merging UN support with a grassroots mandate, IVD is a unique opportunity for volunteer-involving organizations to work with government agencies, non-profit organizations, community groups and the private sector. Read

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has a long history of supporting relief operations in the aftermath of disasters, from Hurricane Mitch in Central America in 1998, to the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, the Honduras storm in 2007 and the 2008 cyclones in Myanmar and Haiti.

Scores of UNV volunteers have helped coordinate relief efforts, mobilize resources and rehabilitate devastated populations. Their rapid deployment, professional skills and prior experience in disaster response brings hope to overwhelmed communities. Read