I. Overview
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is committed to respecting the privacy of its Users and to providing a safe, secure User experience. This Privacy Policy sets forth the online data collection and usage policies and practices that apply to the Volunteer Management Applications Modules (VMAM) platform which is comprised of https://vmam.unv.org and its affiliated extensions (an “Extension”) with the URL format https://unv.org (collectively, the “Platform”). By using the Platform the User consents to the policies and practices described in this Privacy Policy.
This Platform contains links to other websites over which UNV has no control. UNV is not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of other websites to which the User chooses to link from this Platform. UNV encourages the User to review the privacy policies of those other websites so s/he can understand how they collect, use and share her/his information. This Privacy Policy applies solely to the information UNV collects on this Platform.
II. Collection and Retention of Information
In some areas of the Platform, and to become a Registered User of the Volunteer Management Application Modules, UNV requests or may request that the User provides personal information, including name, address, e-mail address, contact information, and any other information from which her/his identity is discernible. In other areas, UNV collects or may collect demographic information that is not unique to the User such as nationality, country of residence, age, gender, degree, area of expertise and employment status. Sometimes UNV collects or may collect a combination of the two types of information. An example of an area on the Platform where UNV collects personal or combined personal and demographic data is the registration page.
UNV also gathers or may gather certain information about the User’s use of this Platform, such as what areas the User visits and what services s/he accesses. Moreover, there is information about the User’s computer hardware and software that may be collected by UNV. This information can include without limitation the IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses.
UNV retains indefinitely all the information it gathers about the User to make her/his use of this Platform more efficient, practical and relevant. Of course, the User can correct or update her/his personal information at any time. Moreover, the User can withdraw from the Platform, in which event UNV will remove the User’s account profile information except for an archival copy, which is not accessible on the Internet.
III. Use of Information
UNV uses the information it gathers on the Platform, whether personal, demographic, collective or technical, for the purpose of operating and improving the Platform, fostering a positive User experience and facilitating the connection of candidates, UN Volunteers to Organizations as set forth in this Privacy Policy. User information is managed as follows:
All Registered Users maintain their information at the User profile page.
The Platform eliminates automatically Users registered with an invalid email address.
For any questions about how UNV discloses its information, please see the UNDP Information Disclosure Policy to which UNV adheres.
UNV reserves the right to remove content on the Platform that violates this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Use or that UNV otherwise believes to be harmful.
IV. Disclosure of Information to Others
UNV does not disclose to third parties User’s personal information, combined personal and demographic information or information about her/his use of the Platform (such as areas User visits or services User accesses), except that:
(a) In case the User applies for a UN volunteering opportunity, certain Registered Users will be able to access part of the User’s personal profile such as name, email address and personal web pages as well as any additional personal and demographic information the User may submit with his/her application.
(b) In case the User is has a UN Partner account on the Platform or has been delegated opportunity management rights by the Site Administrator, Registered Users applying to an opportunity posted by the UN Partner will be able to access part of the User’s personal profile such as name and email address.
(c) UNV may disclose such information to companies and individuals UNV employs to perform functions on its behalf. Examples may include hosting the web servers, and analyzing data. These companies and individuals will have access to the User’s personal information as necessary to perform their functions, but they may not share that information with any other third party.
(d) UNV may disclose such information, subject to UNV privileges and immunities, if requested to do so by UNV’s internal governing and oversight bodies, including Member States, or if necessary in UNV’s sole discretion to protect UNV property or rights, prevent a crime or protect the safety of Users or the public.
V. Use of Cookies
The Platform uses “cookies” to help personalize and maximize the User’s online experience and time online. A cookie is a text file that is placed on the User’s hard drive by a web page server. Cookies are not used to run programs or deliver viruses to the User’s computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to the User’s computer, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to the User.
One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save the User time. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the web server that the User has returned to a specific page. For example, if the User personalizes pages or registers, a cookie helps UNV to recall the User’s specific information (such as user name, password and preferences). Because of the use of cookies, UNV can deliver faster and more accurate results and a more personalized site experience.
The User may have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but the User can usually modify her/his browser settings to decline all cookies, if the User prefers. Alternatively, the User may be able to modify her/his browser settings to notify her/him each time a cookie is tendered and permit the User to accept or decline cookies on an individual basis. If the User chooses to decline cookies, however, that may hinder performance and negatively impact the User experience on the Platform.
VI. Updating Registered User Information
All Registered Users can correct, update or change their profile at any time from the User profile page accessible from the User account area of the Platform.
VII. Security
UNV has implemented reasonable technical and organization measures designed to secure the User’s personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration or disclosure. However, UNV cannot guarantee that unauthorized third parties will never be able to defeat those measures or use the User’s personal information for improper purposes.
UNV attempts to limit access to the User’s personal information to relevant Registered Users, but UNV cannot guarantee that other parties will not gain access to it. For example, Users may have retained a copy of the User’s information in their own file system or databases. UNV is not responsible for the retention, use or privacy of this information in these instances.
VIII. Changes to the Privacy Policy
Users should check this page periodically to review this Privacy Policy. UNV may, in its sole discretion, modify or revise the Privacy Policy at any time by updating this page.