En 2013, esa convicción me llevó a incorporarme como Voluntaria ONU Especialista Nacional con el PNUD en República Dominicana. Junto a más de 1,000 personas voluntarias, coordiné una consulta nacional en las 32 provincias del país en la que participaron más de 220,000 dominicanos y dominicanas, posicionando al país en el octavo lugar de 193 naciones en una consulta ciudadana global sobre prioridades de desarrollo.

To build resilience, urban leaders must recognize residents as essential partners. The 2026 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) offers guidance on strengthening this civic infrastructure. Here's my take.

The UNEG-UNV Young and Emerging Evaluators (YEE) programme began in 2024 with its first cohort, including 10 UN Volunteer assignments in 8 countries. These volunteers were at an early stage in their careers and under the age of 35. Of these, 50 percent were women.

During the visit, discussions focused on the continued development of Bonn as a United Nations duty station and the strong partnership between Germany and the United Nations system. Particular attention was given to the role of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme as the Common Service Provider for the UN Campus in Bonn.Supported by the Federal Government, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the City of Bonn, the city has developed into a reliable hub for international cooperation, reflecting Germany’s commitment to multilateralism.

In 2013, that conviction brought me to join as a national UN Volunteer Specialist with UNDP in the Dominican Republic. Together with over 1,000 volunteers, I coordinated a national survey across all 32 provinces in which more than 220,000 Dominicans participated, placing the country 8th out of 193 nations in a global citizens' consultation on development priorities. That experience confirmed something I have carried ever since: when people are genuinely invited to shape decisions that affect their lives, they show up. Every time. Because participation is not charity. It is dignity.

Before joining UNV, Toily worked at UNDP as Country Director in Myanmar, Deputy Resident Representative in Fiji and Pacific Island Countries and at the UNDP Headquarters in New York. Prior to that, he had a distinguished career in banking and international relations in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.Toily holds master’s degrees in Public Administration from Harvard University and in Economics from Russian Economic University.

Our age has no shortage of upheaval. Displacement today is not episodic; it is widespread. Conflicts endure, climates shift, and fragile systems strain under repeated shocks. In such a world, sympathy alone is insufficient. It must be organized, sustained, and given direction. Solidarity must become service.

The meeting, which included COP31 Climate High-Level Champion Samed Ağırbaş and Louise Chamberlain, UNV Deputy Executive Coordinator, focused on the priorities of both organizations and on ways to align efforts around the International Volunteer Year 2026.

Mr. Chair,Distinguished delegates,This is the fifth time I have the privilege of presenting the annual report of UNV to the Executive Board.First time when I was presenting in 2021, I was given 20 minutes to allow more time for dialogue among the Member States. The following year, it became 15 minutes, then 10, and now I have only five. I look forward to the challenge the board will set for me next year.

Numbers are not enough. Measuring volunteering must go beyond hours and activities to show real change in people’s lives, communities and support systems. The webinar opened with remarks by Olga Zubritskaya-Devyatkina, UNV Regional Manager for Arab States, and was facilitated by Professor Matt Baillie Smith and Dr Bianca Fadel of Northumbria University. Drawing on Chapter 6 of the 2026 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report, it brought together researchers and practitioners from crisis-affected contexts.