SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
In effect, countries and their governments already preside over a de facto national “volunteer corps” without a line in their budgets. Citizens are actively co-producing public goods—health outreach, education support, disaster response and social care—without appearing in administrative data. Increasingly, national institutions are prepared to recognize and work with this effort rather than treating it as invisible and incidental.
11 March 2026
Global
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
Of the conversations that have unfolded, I have heard voices of wonder and hesitation alike: How can volunteerism be measured when its very essence is fluid and human? Why quantify something so deeply intrinsic, so rooted in the quiet generosity of the heart? And who, after all, seeks such data?Yet even amidst the questions, praise has echoed from every corner, carried by relief that at last, it is here.
04 March 2026
Global
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
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.
27 February 2026
East and Southern Africa
Success stories
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
I was among the very first to open its pages. At the #WEARETOGETHER International Forum in Moscow, our Chief Expert, Vyacheslav Ivanov, and our Director, Irina Mersianova, received a freshly printed copy directly from Dr. Tapiwa Kamuruko, Chief of the Volunteer Advisory Services Section from the United Nations Volunteers (UNV).
26 February 2026
Global
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
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.
06 February 2026
Global
Success stories
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
I work at the intersection of systems, people, and uncertainty. In a nutshell, that means working behind the scenes to support the recruitment of UN Volunteers across more than 30 countries, including in emergency contexts such as Ukraine. I see firsthand how automation is reshaping the way we work and how quietly many of us wonder: What will my role be when machines can do what humans once did?
28 January 2026
Europe and Central Asia
Success stories
SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
Working closely with the Independent Electoral Commission, I focus on the next electoral cycle (2026–2027). One of the most rewarding parts of my work has been joining a nationwide training mission across all ten regions of the country.
07 January 2026
West and Central Africa
Success stories
SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
As I complete my 6,000 days with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), I find myself reflecting on a journey that has been nothing short of extraordinary. It has been filled with people, purpose and the countless moments that have shaped who I am today—professionally and personally.
31 December 2025
Asia and the Pacific
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 14: Life below water, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
Globally, over 2.1 billion people volunteer every month; that’s one in three working-age adults. These individuals are not just filling gaps; they are driving progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, bridging humanitarian and development divides, and strengthening social cohesion. They care for neighbours, protect forests, mentor young people, and respond to crises long before institutional help arrives.
11 December 2025
Global
Success stories
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
For Africa, these shifts are not only challenges. They are also opportunities to reposition, to leapfrog, and to show that resilience can be paired with innovation. Across the region, governments, regional institutions, and the African Union are driving initiatives that seek to unify the continent, from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to cross-border climate adaptation projects.
08 December 2025
East and Southern Africa
Success stories