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.

For more information on the UNV offer of emergency and humanitarian support, please access the following links:UNV Emergency ResponseUnited Nations Partner Toolkit 

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.

"We are not evaluating for the sake of accountability alone," Liza explains. "Evaluation is also a tool for learning and adaptation."This year alone, Liza has helped support OHCHR's 2026 Evaluation Plan, which includes 47 evaluations covering different regions and themes. Her role ranges from developing terms of reference and selecting consultants to analyzing data, producing knowledge products, and transforming complex findings into insights that decision-makers can use.

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.

Developed by the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Secretariat and in cooperation with UNV, the Review brings together examples of volunteer policies, programmes and initiatives from across CICA Member States. It was prepared in the context of the International Volunteer Year (IVY) 2026.

President Tokayev noted that volunteerism continues to gain momentum across Kazakhstan. More than 1,000 events are being organized nationwide within the framework of IVY 2026, while the number of volunteers in the country has grown to nearly 300,000. 

The Humanitarian Reset starts from a similar premise. It recognizes that today’s humanitarian system must become leaner, more locally led and more accountable in the face of growing needs and shrinking resources. That ambition is welcome. Yet it might remain incomplete if it continues to overlook one of the system’s greatest strengths: the volunteers who make humanitarian action possible every day.