It is a crisp Monday morning in September 2023. The bus from East Brunswick, New Jersey, starts its journey towards the Port Authority terminal in New York. I am about to begin my first day as the new Chief of the Operational Support and Quality Assurance Branch at the Policy and Strategy Division of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Just as the bus transports me from point A to B, I am whisked away by a train of thought.

To get back on track, the report highlighted that urgent actions are needed to change course and reimagine our futures. These actions must be collective, strategic and evidence based.     

The high-level gathering convened more than 450 onsite participants and more than 3000 online viewers. They included representatives from the Government, UN partners, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Volunteer Involved Organizations, academia, influencers, and volunteers who came together to recognize the spirit of volunteerism in shaping a better world.

As peace gives impetus for Iraq to move from a crisis context to development, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) looks forward to working with the Government of Iraq and integrating volunteers into the country's sustainable development agenda. --Kyoko Yokosuka, UNV Deputy Executive Coordinator These were the words of Ms Kyoko Yokosuka, UNV Deputy Executive Coordinator, as she addressed the audience at the high-level International Volunteer Day (IVD) event in Baghdad. 

Covid hit. Everything shut down. I had a job in Egypt but wanted an international perspective, so I started looking for opportunities, and then one day I landed in Somalia. It was April 2021 and amidst the ongoing unrest in the country around that time, I thought to myself – my international volunteer experience is going to end before it begins. A feeling of risk started to settle in. I made sure that my runaway bag was ready.

I am the focal point of UPSHIFT with UNICEF. which aims at youth social innovation.  

The theme of this year's IVD centers on the power of everyone - collective action - if everyone did. If everyone volunteered the world would be a better place.  Imagine more than eight billion of us volunteering. Limitless possibilities for sustainable development - food and education for everyone, clean environment and good health, inclusive and peaceful societies, and more.

Your Excellency, Minister of Youth and Sports, dear friends and colleagues, The person speaking on the video like a robot was me.  The message was to the global audience. Today I would like some personal remarks for you, UN Volunteers in Somalia. I came here to present personal greetings not only from myself, as the Executive Coordinator, but also from 13,000 UN Volunteers around the world. We know of you, we hear about you and we appreciate all what you do.

With nearly ten years in the United Nations system and some eight years working directly with vulnerable refugee and asylum-seeking populations, I value my service to UNHCR's international protection mandate.  UNHCR in Somalia works with government and stakeholders to provide humanitarian assistance, and advance peace and development in priority areas of return and reintegration.

Abdelmohsin Elzair and Elsadig Saeed are international UN Volunteer Experts from Sudan. They serve as Supervising Engineers mainly in Ninewa located in northern Iraq. Among their shared accomplishments - construction of residential complexes, the rehabilitation of houses, and the establishment of public infrastructure including portable water networks. Elsadig leads and manages various construction and infrastructure projects through all phases in various areas in Ninewa Governorate.