05 December 2010 - Volunteers for Economic and Social Development

Every year on 5 December, the International Volunteer Day (IVD) is celebrated across the world to mark the important voluntary role they have in various areas, such as maintaining peace and stability, awareness raising, capacity building, helping fight diseases and epidemics, alleviating poverty and developing societies in social and economic spheres. On the occasion of the IVD 2010, UNDP Administrator, Ms. Helen Clark sent out a message in which she praised the work of the UN Volunteers (UNV) and their collaboration with the governments to facilitate development across the world. The full text of Ms. Clark's message follows below:

'Today, as we mark International Volunteer Day, we celebrate the contributions volunteers are making to peace and development around the world, and towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

UNDP and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme work with governments in developing countries to promote volunteer engagement, national volunteer service programmes, and volunteer centres. We believe that strategies supported by community-level action can help tackle development challenges. National volunteers can also bring valuable knowledge of the local context, allowing development partners to reach out to communities and strengthen the capacity of these communities to become active players in addressing the challenges they face.

Over 7,500 UNV volunteers support the work of UNDP and other UN organizations and missions, and more than 3,500 international UNV volunteers are themselves drawn from developing countries.

As 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers, next year offers a good opportunity to focus the world’s attention on the volunteers who are working to spread peace and development around the world.

I wish the volunteering community every success in celebrating the role and contributions of volunteers worldwide.'

Also, on the occasion of the International Voluteer Day on 3 December the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme announced on 3 December in Bonn, Germany the winners of the "Online Volunteering Award 2010", honouring the 'outstanding' contributions of volunteers who work entirely over the Internet to contribute to peace and development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

A jury of experts in volunteerism and development cooperation chose the winners based on their commitment and contributions, the results of their collaboration and their impact on the activities of the non-profit development organizations they supported.

For more information on this award and the details of the volunteer assignments praised, please click HERE.

For more information about the UNV, please click HERE.

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