Since 1975, the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) has been partnering with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme for the conservation, protection and support of nature and natural resources, including biological diversity. During 2012-2022, 543 UN Volunteers have served with UN Environment, supporting the programme’s mission to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
How do UN Volunteers add value to UN Environment?
As an efficient, speedy and diverse talent solution for UN partners, UN Volunteers serve with UN entities to bring people to the forefront of development, peace and humanitarian issues. UNV manages a pool of over 350,000 talented and qualified UN Volunteers who can be deployed to bolster the delivery of UN Environment’s programmes and support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We really value the contribution of the UN Volunteers who work with us at UN Environment. They are our unsung heroes. --Joyce Msuya, Ag. Executive Director, UN Environment
In 2018, UNV and the UN Secretariat signed a new Memorandum of Understanding – which also applies to UN Environment – to further strengthen the partnership between the entities.
UN Volunteers work within communities at the grassroots-level, making them well-placed to build community resilience to the impacts of climate change and support communities in the sustainable recovery from disasters and rehabilitating land following conflicts. They advance efforts by UN Environment to promote environmental governance and management, supporting programmes that advance the sustainable use of natural resources.
Read more about UN Volunteers serving with UN Environment.
UN Volunteers are experienced personnel available to support UN Environment’s mandate. In 2022, over 83 per cent of UN Volunteers came from the global South, offering an understanding of complex local development challenges and societal norms. UN Volunteers can strengthen the impact, sustainability and inclusivity of development initiatives, fostering participation and generating local ownership.
How can your office recruit UN Volunteers?
UNV offers different categories of UN Volunteers to suit the needs of UN partners, such as international and national specialists, youth or online volunteers. UN Volunteers can serve from two weeks to up to four years, depending on the category of volunteer. UNV manages all contractual, legal and management aspects to help minimize the administrative impacts for the host organization.
To partner with UNV and recruit UN Volunteers to support UN Environment’s programmes and operations, contact the UNV Field Representation or Regional Office for guidance and support.
For further information, refer to UNV’s website at: https://toolkit.unv.org.
