The joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme Social Innovation and Volunteerism in Uzbekistan Project is harnessing the social innovation of young people to tackle development challenges. By providing training, advocacy, and grants to young innovators UNV is helping to unlock the talent and entrepreneurial skills of Uzbek youth, many of whom previously lacked opportunities to contribute to development.

Istanbul, Turkey:  To inform the future of humanitarian action, the UN Secretary General convened the World Humanitarian Summit on 23 and 24 May 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. In attendance at the summit were representatives of 173 UN member states, heads of states and governments, private sector, NGOs, and civil society organizations representatives.

Thessaloniki, Greece: People from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries in the region are fleeing war and desperate situations in their home countries, and making their way to Europe in search of safety. Many of these people now remain in refugee camps in Greece, where they live in very difficult conditions.

Richard Dictus, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, addresses the audience, including the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in an event commemorating the 20 years of the UN in Bonn.

Jasmin Sander, from Germany, recounts her experience as a UN Volunteer in Serbia.

Nadine Ruprecht, Programme Analyst at UNV, explains how the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to the efforts against climate change in the lead up to the Signing Ceremony of the Paris Agreement.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the audience during the event commemorating the 20 years of UN Bonn on 8 March 2016.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: When I was doing my degree, I volunteered with a number of local NGOs and associations whose main activities focused on women and youth, as that is where I thought I could make a contribution and bring about change.

Kiev, Ukraine: When I was five years old, I wanted to be the Pope. Later on, a doctor. In high school I was almost sure I would be a biologist, but then I got involved in the Model United Nations and various organizations promoting European integration, which shifted my interest towards politics.    I studied international politics and European studies at the University of Economics in Prague.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Few people realize that, although currently there is no cure for HIV, the existing medicine has turned HIV into a chronic disease, with which HIV-positive people can and do live long, productive, flourishing lives, and have HIV-negative partners and children. Moreover, if taken correctly, modern medicine minimizes the risk of HIV transmission to others and allows partners to take preventative medicine. Yet, misunderstanding and stigma persist.