Recognizing volunteers advancing South-South Cooperation

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South-South Cooperation and volunteerism share common values of solidarity and reciprocity, which enable developing countries to strengthen their relationships beyond trade, infrastructure investment and technology exchanges.[1] More and more countries are recognizing volunteering as a powerful mechanism to further such cooperation.

Can an individual significantly accelerate the development progress of a country and support its achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Can a single person strengthen the bond among people from different countries in achieving the goals?

At UNV, we know it’s possible. The answers to all the above questions is an emphatic “Yes”, especially when it comes to volunteers working on South-South cooperation.

Volunteering out of a passion for contributing to society

Abraham Kanneh, UN Volunteer with the UNRCO, Liberia
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Abraham Kanneh is a national UN Volunteer in Liberia serving with the Resident Coordinator’s Office. He shares his volunteer experiences over the years – from electoral support to combating gender-based violence in the COVID-19 context.

I am currently serving as a national UN Volunteer in Liberia for the Spotlight Initiative. My role is to develop an outreach strategy and distribute awareness-raising materials for the Coronavirus pandemic, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

We engage with community members and religious leaders to promote preventive measures for vulnerable community members, including women, girls and persons with disabilities.

Women UN Volunteers in Yemen on the path to a more equal future

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In Yemen, women UN Volunteers are stepping up to the many challenges during the pandemic. They are on the frontlines of response despite many hurdles – including gender stereotypes, risks caused by years of conflict, and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women. By volunteering these women are serving as glimmers of hope in hard times. These UN Volunteers lead the way to a more equal future for women and girls.

In Yemen, an estimated 24.1 million  out of the country's total population of 29 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. With 19.7 million people requiring health assistance, COVID-19 has only exacerbated the situation. As in many other parts of the world, women are disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Collaborating through volunteerism for a better future: reflections from the COVID-19 response in Kenya

Walid Badawi, UNDP Kenya Resident Representative
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COVID-19 has proven to be a highly infectious virus spread through human-to-human transmission. For many frontline and healthcare workers like our UN Volunteers, contracting COVID-19 in the course of duty is a significant concern. However, this has not hindered hundreds of healthcare workers from selflessly serving on the frontlines of the pandemic, giving back generously by servicing affected communities at a time of great need.

Following the outbreak of the pandemic in Kenya, 50 UN Volunteer health experts were deployed through a UN joint programme to support the COVID-19 response at county level, where the unexpected surge of infections had overstretched healthcare service-delivery capacity, impacting lives and livelihoods.

Together we can build a fairer and healthier world

UNV Communications
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In celebration of World Health Day, we share the stories of five of our UN Volunteers. These volunteers are working on raising public awareness on health risks and issues, informing on preventive measures, and supporting ongoing health service delivery in order to build a healthier and fairer world. Their assignments are financed from UNV's Special Voluntary Fund* (SVF). 

It's been more than a year since the COVID-19 outbreak started. Although there have been countless challenges, which were hard to resolve, we are enduring these testing times well together. Among those who have been tirelessly fighting COVID-19 – either on the frontlines or by wearing masks or staying at home – we would like to recognize and honour our UN Volunteers' tremendous efforts to address the challenges of the pandemic.

ICT and data experts connect partners to crucial information for COVID-19 response

Hasan Ibhais, UNV Communications, Arab States
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When the United Nations rolled out its response to COVID-19, the UN Volunteers (UNV) programme invested in the strategic placement of national UN Volunteers to support partners in their tireless fight against the pandemic and its impact on sustainable development. UN Volunteers serving in information and communication technology and data entry, for example, have helped build digital platforms and develop web-based communications, keeping everyone connected in hard times and improving the overall crisis response. Their assignments are financed from UNV's Special Voluntary Fund.*

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand for remote work and data access. At the same time, countering stereotypes and misinformation has become necessary for the progress of the pandemic response efforts. However, in many countries, the information systems and architecture necessitated by remote environments have lagged behind. As a result, access to health information and healthcare has been complicated.

UN Volunteers assist with democratic electoral process in Burkina Faso

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As part of the Project to Support Electoral Processes in Burkina Faso (PAPE) executed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNV recruited and trained 49 national UN Volunteers and 62 UN Community Volunteers to support the 45 provinces of Burkina Faso during the combined elections in November 2020.  

UN Volunteers contributed to essential tasks, including logistics organization, recruitment, and training of members of voting stations in preparing for the election last November. Some of the UN Volunteers also coordinated communication with the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) for the upcoming voting. 

The 62 UN Community Volunteers assisted the local commissions in the reception of election materials and documents, their packaging, and effective distribution, in collaboration with the polling stations. 

Recruiting UN Volunteers for COVAX

Worldwide
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Calling on YOU to join our Talent Pool!

UNV is lining up skilled professionals to support UN entities – and through them UN Member States – in their COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. This includes key partners such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Food Programme (WFP) and World Health Organization (WHO).

Two women UN Volunteers with FAO fight for #ZeroHunger

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in Turkey come together to reinforce the role of volunteers in the fight to eliminate hunger and obtain global food security.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the importance of food security like never before. UN Volunteers are playing an important role in fighting hunger during the global crisis. Currently, there are 51 UN Volunteers serving with FAO globally, including 12 UN Volunteers in Europe and Central Asia region.

Recognizing and protecting those who serve us as volunteers

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"Volunteering is a nucleus of resistance to the uncertainty [of the pandemic]. Volunteering is the hope of being able to continue, the hope that there is a better tomorrow." These were the words of Carmen Ramirez, UNV Regional Communications Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, when asked how she would reimagine volunteerism. "Five years from now, I would hope that decision makers – in governments, universities, the private sector and beyond – realize the value of volunteering, because that would enable us to achieve so much more."

During the Global Technical Meeting (GTM) on Reimagining Volunteerism for the 2030 Agenda, high-ranking officials and volunteers exchanged on how volunteering is contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), how governments and organizations can better protect volunteers, and how volunteering can and should be recognized.

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