Executive Coordinator presents UNV 2024 results to the Executive Board

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Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator of United Nations Volunteers (UNV) presented the 2024 Annual Report of the Administrator at the Executive Board in New York on 5 June 2024. 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).

Distinguished Delegates,

It is always an honour to address the Executive Board. Though I must confess—summarizing the annual report of United Nations Volunteers is a bit like trying to tweet War and Peace. But I will try to do it justice. I also look forward to your guidance and questions from the board members and the observing delegations afterward. 

Community volunteers support Yemen’s water lifeline

United Nations Volunteers
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Yemen is running dry—and fast. With scarce rainfall and strained water systems, communities are facing shrinking harvests, exacerbating food insecurity. In response, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and KfW Development Bank, launched the Integrated Water Resources Management to Enhance Resilience of Agriculture and Food Security project. United Nations Volunteers (UNV) in Yemen is supporting this project by recruiting Yemeni nationals as UN Community Volunteers.

In Al-Mawaset and Al-Selw districts in Taiz Governorate and Al-Mosymer and Tuban districts in Lahj Governorate, UNV is encouraging local community volunteers to take the lead, working part-time on this environmental initiative. 

In March 2025, UNDP Yemen brought four part-time UN Community Volunteers on board—one for each district—to serve as a link between project teams, contractors, and local communities.

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, and do without"

United Nations Volunteers
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Efforts matter. Actions, no matter how small, count. A message from Khalid Badr, who is making the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) greener. How does he do that?  By improving how waste is managed in UN compounds. In Afghanistan, where conflict and climate change threaten already fragile ecosystems, sustainable solutions are urgently needed. Since March 2022, Khalid, an Environmental Engineer from Sudan and UN Volunteer with UNAMA has been working towards reducing the mission’s environmental footprint. 

Khalid's efforts align with global best practices and support the Sustainable Development Goals—especially SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production, and SDG 15 on protecting life on land. 

In his volunteer assignment as an Environmental Officer, he has successfully included sustainability into the culture at UNAMA—treating it not just as a target, but as a way of thinking. 

When crisis calls, who do you call?

United Nations Volunteers
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When war broke out in Ukraine in February 2022, it didn’t just affect one nation—it disrupted lives across the region. As thousands fled to safety, neighbouring countries became lifelines for those seeking shelter, support, and hope. United Nations Volunteers (UNV) has been on the frontlines of the UN’s emergency response—both inside the country and across the region. Mobilizing volunteers fast, from Moldova to Poland, Romania to Slovakia, and Czechia to Bulgaria, delivering aid, supporting logistics, and sharing expertise across 12 countries. We spotlight three of these volunteers who joined the UN efforts thanks to the Special Voluntary Fund (SVF).

Before volunteering with the UN, Pavlo Tishkov crunched numbers at the National Bank of Ukraine. But when war broke out, spreadsheets weren’t enough—he wanted to make a real difference.

Carving roads through mud—worth every step

Alana Foley Pradhan, Knowledge Management Officer, UN Women Liberia
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The first time I found myself stuck on a red dirt road in rural Liberia, our car had sunk deep into the mud, and the sun was setting. No phone signal. No light. No nearby village. Just miles of rough road behind us—and ahead. When we eventually made it to Zwedru—a place often left off the map and usually unreachable, the lights were off, and there was no water. In that very moment, it seemed as if I had circled back to my childhood in Nepal—when we faced power outages and struggled with access to basic resources. But this time, it was different. I was in Liberia as a UN Volunteer working with UN Women.

Raised between Kathmandu and Dublin, and half Irish, half Nepali, I am shaped by two vibrant cultures on opposite ends of the world. That dual experience frames my perspective: I’ve seen the glaring inequalities that exist, but also the resilience of communities facing them.

Breaking new ground: United Nations Volunteers and University of Pretoria set to launch first-ever Global Volunteer Index

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This first-of-its-kind tool is designed to systematically measure and spotlight the contributions of volunteers to sustainable development worldwide.

The Global Volunteer Index is set to become a game-changer—giving  governments and development partners insights to tap into the full potential of volunteerism in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

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