SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
08 April 2026
Europe and Central Asia
Exposure story
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
Across communities in the Global South and worldwide, people dedicate their time, skills, and energy to help others—often without expecting recognition or reward. Consider the community-based groups in Kenya that support research and conservation initiatives for animals and wildlife, the volunteer firefighters in Australia who battle devastating bushfires, or the youth groups across Latin America organizing neighbourhood clean-ups and immunization campaigns.
08 April 2026
Global
Success stories
SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 15: Life on land, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
01 April 2026
West and Central Africa
Exposure story
SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
31 March 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean
Exposure story
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
The response is not cosmetic. On 1 April 2026, UNV updates its offer with 39 redesigned volunteer solutions. The new offer is designed to address the complex, urgent, and varied challenges facing the world today. It provides UN entities with increased flexibility and creates more inclusive opportunities for UN Volunteers to get involved. Who can volunteer—and howAt the heart of the Conditions of Service is a simple principle: experience matters most.
31 March 2026
Global
Success stories
SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
30 March 2026
West and Central Africa
Exposure story
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
The response was cautious, as some felt volunteerism was too intangible or rooted in solidarity to be captured by indicators, almost as if measuring it would devalue its contribution to a mere metric. I understood the hesitation, but I also knew that if something is not measured, it is too easily overlooked—and if it is overlooked, it is rarely recognized. After all, as the saying goes: “if you don’t count it, it doesn’t count”.
27 March 2026
Global
Success stories
SDG 1: No poverty, SDG 2: Zero hunger, SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 13: Climate change, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
26 March 2026
Asia and the Pacific
Exposure story
SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 5: Gender equality, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
“Ecuador is marked by a long history of exclusion of Indigenous peoples and fragile intercultural dialogue, which continues to generate tensions,” Noémie explains. “Despite the Constitution recognizing the country as intercultural and plurinational, there is still a limited understanding of what these concepts truly mean, both in principle and in practice”.
25 March 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean
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
في واقع الأمر، تترأس الدول وحكوماتها بالفعل "فيلقاً وطنياً للمتطوعين" دون وجود بند خاص لهم في ميزانياتها. فالمواطنون يشاركون بنشاط في إنتاج سلع عامة —مثل التوعية الصحية، ودعم التعليم، والاستجابة للكوارث، والرعاية الاجتماعية— دون أن يظهروا في البيانات الإدارية. وتستعد المؤسسات الوطنية بشكل متزايد للاعتراف بهذا الجهد والعمل معه بدلاً من اعتباره أمراً غير مرئي أو عرضي.
18 March 2026
Global
Success stories