Latin America is the region with the most economic inequality in the world. Some 80 per cent of the population work in the informal economy sector, not profiting from basic services like social security programmes. According to the UNDP report, Volunteerism to foster development: concepts and prototypes (2021), 22 per cent do not have access to clean water, 34 per cent do not have an internet connection, and 45 per cent are excluded from financial services, such as bank accounts.

This year, thirty UN Volunteers have been deployed in support of WFP operations in the Arab States. Of these, 23 have served in Lebanon, taking up roles in monitoring and evaluation, risk assessment, nutrition, public information and programme support. UN Volunteer Jad Bayram is an Operational Information Management and Performance Reporting Officer.  He contributes to knowledge products, including situation reports, country briefs, fact sheets and annual reports.

When I reflect on my life, I realize that my upbringing in a rural area largely shaped my decision to become a UN Volunteer. Growing up in Guruve, a rural community north of Harare, Zimbabwe, gave me an excellent grounding in local issues and a true understanding of the poverty and social exclusion that people in under-served communities suffer. Although rural life was difficult, it had several redeeming qualities.

The project is implemented in partnership with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and 11 UN Volunteers are actively involved in its execution in the three countries. Eight national UN Volunteers manage training, five of these in Cameroon and three in Chad. In Gabon, three national volunteers handle communications, information technology and monitoring and evaluation.

A new project in Burkina Faso offers hope in prison in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic  In Burkina Faso, UNODC, UNV and IOM launched a project supporting the prevention of risks of deterioration of social cohesion and peace in the context of the response to COVID-19 at points of entry and in places of detention, with funding from the UN Peacekeeping Fund. 

To address the commune's difficulties in mobilizing resources, Denis recommended a new strategy to the local council: to engage non-resident nationals to recover taxes and strengthen economic development.

We are at a time of crisis, which means that every decision we take today will have an impact on the living conditions of the next generations. This is the moment where we can decide what will happen with the Sustainable Development Goals and how we reach the year 2030. Today, more than ever, we must act, guided by the premise to “leave no one behind”, and build a sustainable, inclusive and equitable future.

​Even before the pandemic, millions of people took to the streets to make their voices heard. Rising inequalities were a common factor for these public displays, and minorities such as persons with disabilities, indigenous communities, refugees, and migrants, among others, were the hardest hit groups.

Most UN Volunteers in Balkan countries are highly skilled individuals, eager to apply and transfer their previous experience in a new context. They are motivated more by the tasks at hand and the opportunity to contribute projects of value. --Rimma Sabayeva, UNV Regional Manager for Europe and CIS

UNDP advertised for the Young Environmental Journalists via the Online Volunteering platform of UNV, offering young leaders and environmental and human rights advocates worldwide an opportunity to join the programme. Following a rigorous selection process, 71 young talents were selected to work together in 2019, while 100 young talents from 27 countries participated in the 2020 edition of the campaign.