Good morning, everyone.Honestly, I didn’t expect this morning’s attendance to rival last night’s reception. So I haven’t prepared a special speech for this session. But I do have a few thoughts I’d like to share as we embark on the substantive dialogue.

Chairperson,High Commissioner,Distinguished Delegates.I am honoured to address the Executive Committee on behalf of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV). Established by the General Assembly in 1970, UNV contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. As a system-wide service entity, UNV deploys UN Volunteers across the United Nations system, including in support of refugees and the communities that host them.

“The cooperation between UNV and China began in 1981. The new agreement will continue to write a new chapter in the cooperation, playing the role of a bridge and link, and creating opportunities for more talents to participate in international volunteer services,” said Ai Yinfang, Deputy Director-General of CICETE.The Agreement builds on longstanding collaboration between UNV and partners in China, providing a stronger foundation to deepen the partnership and expand cooperation into new areas.

During an official two-day visit to the Republic of Korea on 12 and 13 October 2026, UNV Executive Coordinator Toily Kurbanov is meeting government representatives and international organizations. The visit takes place during the International Volunteer Year and will focus on how volunteer action can further strengthen solidarity and cooperation while responding to global peace and development challenges.

 In this video, voices from United Nations Volunteers (UNV) come together in 12 languages, celebrating the richness of language and all that it carries. 

Then, some of us thought that such an emergency would call for blood and decided to rush to the nearest blood donation station, where the line was already around the block. So many people had volunteered, as soon as the news spread, that the nurses could not cope and had to send the majority away, accepting only 0- blood donors, since 0- was in short supply and could be used for all negative blood types. 

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.

Today, as Nepal grapples with devastating floods and landslides, that question feels especially urgent. Thousands of people are facing loss, displacement, and uncertainty. Entire communities are being tested by a crisis that has unfolded with frightening speed.Yet as I followed news of the disaster after returning home, I kept thinking about the UN Volunteers I had met only three weeks earlier.Not because they predicted what was coming. But because they were already supporting communities and livelihoods.

The delegation is led by NCNP Chief Executive Officer Ahmed bin Ali Al-Suwailem and included Abdullah A. Alshomer, General Manager of Corporate Communications and Spokesperson, and Abdul Majed S. Alnowaibt, International Cooperation. During the two-day visit, the delegation meets with UNV officials to discuss opportunities for strengthening cooperation on volunteerism and sustainable development.

Rather than building AI around technology, we chose to build it around the people who use it every day. We listened to colleagues, identified bottlenecks in their work, and focused on creating practical solutions that solve real challenges. The goal was never AI for AI’s sake. The goal was to help people spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on work that creates value.