The Report describes the background to the Year, provides an overview of actions taken, presents conclusions and discusses the future.The Year was successful by any account. One hundred and twenty-three National Committees and scores of local, regional and state committees were formed. The official web site received close to 9 million hits. A heightened recognition of the role of volunteerism in development resulted from the plethora of activities, including efforts to measure the contributions of volunteers, in every part of the world.

The Report draws on the meetings on volunteering that have taken place in the context of the International Year of Volunteers. It recognizes the many-faceted dimensions of volunteerism with a bearing on economic and social policy in both developed and developing countries as well as on development and humanitarian assistance extended through the United Nations system. It is important to acknowledge the significant contribution of donor Governments through bilateral programmes as well as, of course, through support for programmes of the United Nations system itself.

The Report provides information on the use of United Nations Volunteers and on the possibilities of expanding their use in peacekeeping operations in the future.

The report mentions that there is no comprehensive staffing strategy to ensure the right mix of civilian personnel in any operation. There are talents within the United Nations system that must be tapped, gaps to be filled through external recruitment and a range of other options that fall in between, such as the use of United Nations Volunteers, subcontracted personnel, commercial services, and nationally-recruited staff. The United Nations has turned to all of these sources of personnel throughout the past decade, but on a case-by-case basis rather than according to a global strategy.

Considering the positive experience with volunteers in election monitoring as a cost-effective and efficient contribution to peace-keeping, the Committee reiterates its recommendation that the use of volunteers in peace-keeping operations should be expanded.