The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and Action Aid Denmark reaffirmed their longstanding partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the sidelines of the UNV Partnerships Forum 2014. In 2014 Action Aid Denmark and UNV agreed to engage in new areas of collaboration, including capacity building and training of UN Volunteers, as well as local UNV partners and collaborators, such as civil society organizations and youth, and developing joint learning content. The MOU will provide a framework for this new cooperation between both organizations.
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and Action Aid Denmark reaffirmed their longstanding partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the sidelines of the UNV Partnerships Forum 2014.
The fruitful partnership between UNV and Action Aid Denmark started in 1971 and since then, the Danish organization has been fully funding UN Volunteers assignments and supporting UNV in the recruitment, preparation and training of Danish nationals, who are placed as UN Volunteers with United Nations entities worldwide.
In 2014 Action Aid Denmark and UNV agreed to engage in new areas of collaboration, including capacity building and training of UN Volunteers, as well as local UNV partners and collaborators, such as civil society organizations and youth, and developing joint learning content. The MOU will provide a framework for this new cooperation between both organizations.
With Action Aid Denmark’s experience in capacity building, this partnership is highly relevant in the context of the recently launched UNV Volunteer Learning Strategy, whose objective is to harness volunteer skills that can enhance the quality and impact of volunteer engagement during and beyond their assignment. In addition to the support of youth led engagement and innovation, Action Aid Denmark has a keen interest in working with UNV in engaging youth globally.
“Some of the Global Platforms that we have for youth are becoming a hub for continuous support and further action. UNV and Action Aid can surely build on this and add value to each other,” said Anette Munk Sørensen, Head of Training for Change, Action Aid Denmark.
“After more than 40 years of partnership, we wanted to continue our collaboration but by doing something different and innovative,” said UNV Executive Coordinator Richard Dictus during the signing. “We are energized by the renewal of this partnership, which will allow us to support volunteer learning for development.”
Action Aid Denmark fights poverty by promoting political empowerment of the world’s poor. Action Aid Denmark supports long-term development work, education programmes and campaigns as well as exchange of experience and knowledge between people. Founded in 1944 as the Danish Association for International Cooperation, the organization joined, in 2009, Action Aid International, an international federation of development organizations with headquarters in South Africa and working in over 40 countries.
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.