From Gulu: Where climate action becomes real

Decimon Anywar, Local and Community Development Specialist, UNCDF
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I am Decimon Anywar from Uganda, currently serving as a UN Volunteer with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) as a Local and Community Development Specialist on Climate Change. I am based in Gulu City in Northern Uganda. I joined the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) with a clear purpose: to serve my community where it truly matters—not in theory, but on the ground, where needs are real and immediate. To that end, I remained active on the UNV portal, continuously refined my profile, and applied for a role that genuinely aligned with my training and professional experience.

With both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, alongside more than three years of field experience, I brought more than formal qualifications—I brought context. The role required strong local knowledge, and that is where I stood out.

Global momentum builds for IVY 2026

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Participants highlighted strong momentum across countries, including national launch events, early action planning, and active regional and global engagement. They also underscored the central role of national‑level initiatives and the importance of sustained collaboration. 

“We are developing an African perspective on volunteer data and strengthening our advocacy efforts, positioning Senegal as a capital of volunteerism in the Global South.” Seydina M. Ndiaye, IVY 2026 National Focal Point, Senegal. 

Executive Coordinator presents the UNV Strategic Framework to the Executive Board

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Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator of United Nations Volunteers (UNV) presented the Strategic Framework 2026-2029 to the Executive Board in New York on 5 February 2026. The Executive Board consists of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

I thank you, Mr. Chair and the Associate Administrator, for the invitation to present the UNV Strategic Framework. Before I begin, I would like to request the Secretariat to introduce a short video for the delegates, please.

I thank the Secretariat, Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates.

What you have just seen captures the essence of this Strategic Framework.

What measuring volunteerism really tells us about progress

Emiliya Asadova, UNV Policy Specialist
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For more than two decades, development policy and practitioners have returned to the same unresolved question: how do we measure volunteering in ways that make it visible without losing sight of what it truly is? 

Working together with the team of researchers on the 2026 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) “Volunteerism and its measurements”, as well as listening to governments, practitioners and volunteers around the world did not resolve that question for me. Instead, it sharpened my understanding of why it sits at the heart of broader debates on how we define progress. What is the value people create for each other and for society every day?

In line with the UN Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda, the discussion reflects growing efforts to complement Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with measures that better capture wellbeing, social cohesion, and sustainable development. Volunteerism sits squarely within that gap between what matters and what is measured. However, volunteering, mutual aid, and civic participation are largely absent from traditional economic metrics.

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