Through my assignment with IOM, I help to increase the understanding of the positive contribution of migrants towards their communities and enhance their inclusion. Migrants are a vulnerable group affected by multiple forms of discrimination and therefore deserve attention. I believe that migrants should be recognized as agents for development. If people had more positive attitudes towards migrants, this would help in preventing discriminatory treatment within society. 

As part of a team, Louise works on the implementation of two counter-trafficking projects, which strengthens the knowledge and capacity of the government to respond to trafficking. The projects include awareness raising in communities, which aims at informing community members about trafficking and related risks.

Through my volunteer assignment I support and develop workplaces for people with disabilities. Fundamentally, my goal is to remove barriers to employability for disabled people in Belarus, by educating employers on how to create accessible and inclusive working environments. Belarus signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in September 2015 and committed to the creation of an inclusive community. Despite this undertaking, progress has been slow.

Volunteerism is a significant part of Sri Lankan culture. In the World Giving Index published in October 2019 by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), Sri Lanka ranked number one in time volunteered. 

As part of his assignment, Hamma supports the implementation of humanitarian assistance activities to ensure compliance with relevant IOM donor policies and procedures. He has had an impact through the delivery of technical guidance and compliance monitoring to project partners, technical advisors, IOM personnel and implementing entities. Hamma also liaises with the programme manager to coordinate a working group on shelter in the regions of Tahoua and Tillabéry.

I was motivated to apply for the Talent Programme primarily because I was fascinated by the fact the UN is involving people with disabilities as volunteers to contribute to their country and community. The programme helps the inclusion of young people with disabilities in the workplace and offers valuable opportunities for professional development.

To date in 2019, 33 UN Volunteers have been serving in Kazakhstan, 25 of them on national and eight on international assignments. They are placed with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Children's Fund, UN Population Fund, UN Refugee Agency, UN Resident Coordinator's Office, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and UN Environment Programme. An additional 14 Kazakhstanis serve on international assignments abroad.

The event will take stock of progress and ways to strengthen volunteering in the development context. Participants will explore the new factors, best practices, lessons learnt that are important to reimaging volunteering for the 2030 Agenda. According to recent estimates in the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2018, there were over 8.9 million full time equivalent volunteers in the Arab States region (18 countries reporting) in 2018. 17.1% are formal volunteers, within organized volunteer structures, while the vast majority (82.9%) are volunteering informally.

The event will take stock of progress and ways to strengthen volunteering in the development context. Participants will explore the new factors, best practices, lessons learnt that are important to reimaging volunteering for the 2030 Agenda. According to recent estimates in the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2018, there were over 8.9 million full time equivalent volunteers in the Arab States region (18 countries reporting) in 2018. 17.1% are formal volunteers, within organized volunteer structures, while the vast majority (82.9%) are volunteering informally.

UNV is modifying its systems to make becoming a UN Volunteer and recruiting a UN Volunteer both intuitive and digital savvy. The organization-wide DT project, which is supported by the Government of Germany, represented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), leads to new organizational capabilities, augmented by frontier technologies such as AI, Big Data and cloud computing. With efficiency gains and real-time engagement with candidates and UN host entities alike, UNV will better respond to the most pressing needs of the UN and its Member States.