Ms Kyoko Yokosuka, Deputy Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, visited Uzbekistan and Ukraine as part of an outreach mission. Ms Yokosuka met with partners to provide a strategic overview of UNV's offer to UN entities and identify strategic entry points to ensure that the UNV programme remains a partner of choice.
During meetings with UN partners, the UNV delegation also presented the new Unified Volunteering Platform (UVP) and outlined changes to the volunteer Conditions of Service.
Partners expressed great interest in integrating UN Volunteers in support of operations within the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2021-2025, both in Uzbekistan and Ukraine. They favoured the immediate recruitment of Online Volunteers, national UN Volunteer Experts or UN Community Volunteers, as well as the integration of other UNV categories into UN projects. Apart from potential entry points for partnerships, discussions also highlighted the achievements of serving UN Volunteers.
We really value the engagement of UN Volunteers in our border management programmes. UN Volunteers bring certain skills that are really much needed in our office – communication and presentation skills, languages and project management. --Mr Koen Marquering, Criminal Justice, Crime Prevention and Anti-Corruption Programme Coordinator with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Central Asia
Another focus of the ongoing discussion was devoted to enriching national talent pools in Uzbekistan and Ukraine in such fields as communications and PR, education, finances and logistics.
In Ukraine, Ms Yokosuka discussed collaboration in fruitful meetings with Mr Murat Sahin, Country Representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ms Elizabeth Warn, Deputy Head of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Ms Mahi Safarli, Deputy Representative of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), among others.
We are committed to scale up voluntarism for children and young people in Ukraine. Great to have Kyoko Yokosuka, Deputy Executive Director of UN Volunteers at UNICEF house today. --Mr Murat Sahin on Twitter, Country Representative of UNICEF, Ukraine
In both Ukraine and Uzbekistan, the final and the most touching event was a UNV townhall with volunteers. Words of appreciation, best practice sharing and a Q&A session in a friendly atmosphere delivered brought important insights and highlights to participants.
All agencies of the United Nations are working very hard to help the governments to transit to sustainable development, and the UN Volunteers programme brings a critical element – a solution for talent to join the efforts of the United Nations, bringing with them the power of volunteerism. --Ms Matilda Dimovska, UNDP Resident Representative, Uzbekistan.