Since 1973, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been partnering with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme to provide basic social services, primary health care and combat diseases through awareness and prevention. Between 2012-2022, 949 UN Volunteers served with WHO, supporting its mission to promote health, keep people safe and serve the vulnerable.
How does the recruitment of UN Volunteers add value to WHO?
As an efficient, speedy and diverse talent solution for UN partners, UN Volunteers serve with UN entities to bring people to the forefront of development, peace and humanitarian issues. UNV manages a pool of over 350,000 talented and qualified UN Volunteers who can be deployed to bolster the delivery of WHO’s programmes and support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The UN Volunteers have become key members of our team. They give us so much more than just their skills and experience. UNV has also been a rapid and effective way to help the gender balance in the office as well adding energy and enthusiasm. --Abdou Salam Gueye, WHO Representative, Mauritania
UN Volunteers can effectively support WHO’s mission to ‘promote health, keep people safe, serve the vulnerable’. UN Volunteers also support health systems with a focus on the organization of integrated service delivery, supporting emergency preparedness and creating effective responses to disease outbreaks.
Read more about UN Volunteers serving with WHO.
UN Volunteers are experienced personnel available to support WHO’s mandate. In 2022, over 83 per cent of UN Volunteers came from the global South, offering an understanding of complex local development challenges and societal norms. UN Volunteers can strengthen the impact, sustainability and inclusivity of development initiatives, fostering participation and generating local ownership.
How can your office recruit UN Volunteers?
UNV offers different categories of UN Volunteers to suit the needs of UN partners, such as international and national specialists, youth or online volunteers. UN Volunteers can serve from two weeks to up to four years, depending on the category of volunteer. UNV manages all contractual, legal and management aspects to help minimize the administrative impacts for the host organization.
To partner with UNV and recruit UN Volunteers to support WHO’s programmes and operations, contact the UNV Field Representation or Regional Office for guidance and support.
For further information, refer to UNV’s website at: https://toolkit.unv.org.
