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.

What does volunteering mean to you? Volunteering stems from respect and reverence for life itself. Our quality of life is contingent upon the kind of society we create and promote, and volunteerism is that vital link between the individual and society. Compassion and empathy are the fundamental basis for these links because they break boundaries between self and others.

Through the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), which is the UN’s primary financial instrument to sustain peace in countries at risk of or affected by violent conflict, the UN system is supporting Sudan’s transition towards peace after decades of conflict. UN Volunteers are part of this effort.

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. 

The large-scale mixed movement of Venezuelan refugees and migrants has become one of the top five humanitarian crises in the world. For the International Day of Peace, let us recognize the efforts of those who try to make Latin America a peaceful, united and resilient region. One of these is Tashana.

The deployment of these health professionals marked a major step forward in creating additional livelihood opportunities for refugees in Jordan and followed months of discussions between Jordan’s Ministry of Health and UNHCR about how refugees can contribute to stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a great opportunity and at the same time an important responsibility for refugees, who have been eager to directly contribute to the national COVID-19 response. --Dominik Bartsch, UNHCR Representative in Jordan

Can you share the highlights of your assignment as a UN Volunteer and a bit about what you do every day? I have been a Community Outreach Officer with UNMISS for the past three years. I constantly interact with local communities, women’s groups, youth representatives, students, traditional leaders, faith-based organizations and government stakeholders across South Sudan to educate them on the core values the mission stands for.

Then and now, why UN Volunteers? The UN Volunteers (UNV) programme offers a win-win solution. First, volunteer professionals enrich UN projects with an innovative vibe. Second, whether they move forward in the UN system or not, UN Volunteers gain experience that will help in any new beginning. Dare to challenge yourselves: volunteer. UNDP/UNV is a great place to be. How did your UN Volunteer journey start?

Migrants and refugees – from countries such as Cuba, Pakistan, Venezuela, Senegal, Nepal, Angola, and Haiti – travel up the South American continent, cross the Darien Gap, stop briefly in Panama, and continue in transit to North America.

A skilled mediator and diplomat remembered for his advocacy for decolonization and his dedication to international cooperation, Hammarskjöld’s efforts saw the UN through a period of intense change in an era characterized by great power competition.