Cairo, Egypt—How do we measure the true value of volunteering?
This question is at the heart of the 2026 State of the World's Volunteerism Report (SWVR) ‘Volunteerism and its Measurements’, which was launched in the Arab States on 7 September 2026 through a regional event organized by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and the League of Arab States (LAS).
The report was first unveiled globally on 5 December 2025 at the United Nations headquarters in New York during the opening event of the International Volunteer Year (IVY) 2026. It brings together the latest research and thinking on how volunteerism can be measured more effectively and why better evidence matters for sustainable development.
To mark the regional launch in Cairo, UNV and LAS hosted the official launch of the Arabic edition of the report on 7 September. This will be followed by a regional workshop, "Measuring Volunteerism and Making Its Value Visible," on 8 September.
His Excellency Minister Plenipotentiary Tarek Al-Nabulsi, Director of Social Development and Policies at the League of Arab States said: “The report’s launch in the Arab countries coincides with the high-level event organized by the League of Arab States and UNV, as part of the implementation of the Arab Strategy for Volunteer Work, which was developed in cooperation with the Arab Council of Ministers of Social Affairs, UNV, and the United Nations Population Fund. The efforts undertaken by the Arab countries in the field of volunteer work constitute a significant part of the implementation of this strategy and these have been incorporated into the report. The recommendations of the report are also aligned with the proposed implementation steps for carrying out the Arab Strategy for Volunteer Work. The launch of the report in the Arab countries marks a new beginning toward implementing volunteer work in a more coordinated and organized manner, thereby maximizing the benefits of volunteerism in the Arab countries and around the world.”
The two-day workshop will bring together representatives from governments, national statistical offices, volunteer-involving organizations, academia, UN entities and international organizations to exchange experiences and explore how volunteerism contributes to the Arab Strategy on Volunteering.
Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator of UNV, said: "Millions of men and women volunteer each month across the Arab States. Our report calls for their contributions to be better measured, recognized and valued, and presents practical tools to support volunteerism across the region."
Through panel discussions and interactive sessions, participants will examine innovative approaches to measuring volunteer engagement and discuss how better evidence can strengthen policies, programmes and recognition of volunteer contributions across the Arab region.