The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was originally set up to support the Transitional Government in ensuring a secure and stable environment through reform of the Haitian National Police and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes.

Eastern Ukraine is an area of protracted armed conflict, which refers to conflicts that are marked by longevity, complexity and a high impact on local populations. Kramatorsk, located in the Donbas region, was one of the first cities over which the Ukrainian government lost control during the conflict’s onset in 2014.

These events have multiplied over the last ten years, just when the planet has reached its all-time temperature records, blurring the difference between human-made and purely natural catastrophes.

Waheeb Al–Eryani, UNV Programme Manager in South Sudan talks about role of UN Volunteers in the country.

The purpose of the paper was to: Identify, review and compare existing data on formal and informal voluntary activity at national level, paying specific attention to the results from key international surveys; Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of available data sources on volunteering worldwide; Discuss volunteerism measurements issues and suggest accurate and valid volunteerism indices for

UNV commissioned this global research study to provide a picture of trends and lessons in the development of supportive volunteerism policies and legislation in the decade of volunteering from 2001. A review was conducted in seven regions, complemented by country-specific case studies in each region. The study analyses considerations in drafting and implementing volunteerism laws and policies, and highlights the need to tailor them to specific local, national and regional contexts.  This paper is currently being updated for the 2018 State of the World's Volunteerism Report.

The majority of these suspects had been held in pre-trial detention since 2015, when the terrorist attacks committed by Boko Haram ravaged the Diffa region, in the east of the country, by the border with Nigeria "I have seen how the work of a volunteer brings a glimmer of hope in the eyes of prisoners," says Ali*, UN Volunteer for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Niger.

Having had the opportunity this past year to live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I saw first-hand the positive influence of the UN; and this influence greatly resonated with me. Now, I welcome the opportunity to be actively involved in helping this global organization achieve its goals. 

Throughout my career, I always had the idea of one day joining the United Nations Volunteers (UNV). I was inspired by the many UN Volunteers I met during my years of service in Africa. While most were young, active individuals, there were also older ones like me now, with a strong vision of volunteerism. Fortunately, I was successful in my application and am blessed to now be in my second UNV assignment.

After a 50-year conflict between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People’s Army (FARC-EP), the objective of the UN Mission in Colombia (UNMC) is to support cessation of hostilities and to monitor the abandonment of arms as well as the definitive bilateral ceasefire.