UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri is in Australia this week meeting with government and civil society representatives to share information about the unique contribution of volunteerism to peace and development and the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10).

Mr. De Raad started his UN career as a Junior Professional Officer (JPO) and steadily grew through the ranks in progressively responsible leadership positions. His career included field postings in Bangladesh and Tanzania with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and UNDP.

So many names - so little space.

Gulfam Mustafa, UN Volunteer Partnership and Resource Mobilization Officer serving with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Guinea Bissau  As an international UN Volunteer, I live in a country thousands of miles away from my home. I have my family and kids back in Pakistan. Following the news of increasing COVID-19 cases causes me fear, anxiety and mental stress.

UNEP, in partnership with UNV, is actively looking for the first cohort of young, passionate, and skilled talent from less represented regions of the world to join the organization and become the environmental leaders of tomorrow. Applications for 12 new international UN Volunteer specialist assignments closed on 15 May 2023.

The spirit of altruism and volunteering is a core tenet of the United Nations, where individuals around the world can contribute to the UN goals of universal betterment in progressive social, environmental and economic transformation. Volunteerism in the UN is championed especially by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, an organization that works with partners to integrate volunteers into development programming and promote the value and global recognition of volunteerism.

As part of the next State of the World’s Volunteerism Report, UNV commissioned a study based on original multi-country quantitative data to understand patterns of volunteer participation during the global COVID-19 pandemic, volunteer motivations and experiences, and what these might mean for people’s voluntary participation in the remainder of the Decade of Action.

While there are an estimated 370 million indigenous people around the world, most remain largely excluded from mainstream decision-making processes. As a result, despite making up 5 per cent of the world’s population, 15 per cent of indigenous people suffer from extreme poverty.

The achievement of the SDGs requires enhanced cooperation among various stakeholders. UNV effectively fulfills its mission of mobilizing volunteers by establishing partnerships with multiple actors, which is vital for ensuring inclusivity. The private sector assumes a pivotal role in facilitating this process.