The CDR Awards recognize innovation in the day-to-day work of human resources practitioners from the international public sector in the fields of recruitment and employee engagement. With support from public and private sector organisations, the CDR Awards provide the opportunity to showcase, share and learn from the collective experience in successfully addressing strategic or operational challenges, as well as recognize the potential of creativity and the people behind it. What issue did we set out to address?

The IVD 2019 theme, "Volunteer for an Inclusive Future", is a reminder that volunteerism strengthens solidarity and inclusiveness and provides the opportunity for all to participate in the improvement of their communities. In his welcome speech, Prof. Dr. Vimane Phoummavong, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, highlighted the importance of the theme, and Alberto Cuomo, UNV Programme Officer in Lao PDR, reiterated that volunteerism is a universally accessible powerful equalizer that can reduce inequalities worldwide.

International Volunteer Day celebrations  in Côte d’Ivoire  will take place at Lycée Professional de man. A panel on the importance of volunteerism in achieving SDG 10  and the persuit of equality including inclusion through volunteeerism and blood donation will be organised. The official International Volunteer Day celebration will take place on the 6th December at the Lycée  Professional, Man.

To celebrate International Volunteer Day (IVD), we will have a fun walk. This will start from Motael church in Dili to the Dili Centre, which is the venue of our IVD event. We are happy to partner with the Timor-Leste Red Cross Society, National Scouts Association of Timor-Leste, Australian Volunteers International, Volunteer Services Abroad, Peace Corps, Pateo in Dili Centre, MOVE (Portuguese NGO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Health Organization (WHO), UN Women and the UN Resident Coordinator's Office.

Olga acquired her physical-motor disability at the age of 13 due to muscular dystrophy, and since then, her wheelchair has become her ally. She has had to face social, attitudinal, architectural, and transport barriers that at certain times have hindered her full development and participation in social activities. All these challenges make her think that disability is not so much in the person but in the obstacles interfering with its independence and ability to function in society.

The UNDP-UNV Talent Programme for Young Professionals with Disabilities was launched in January 2018. With a commitment to leave no one behind, it promotes the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workforce of the United Nations.  In 2019, 31 UN Volunteers with disabilities, including 15 deployed under the Talent Programme, served across the UN family. Many more UN Volunteers supported the provision of services to persons with disabilities.

On the occassion of international Volunteer Day 2019, we will raise awareness on disability inclusion through volunteerism UNV Guinea-Biissau and UNDP  supported the production of a short film that was displayed for the first time on the 3rd of dcecember.In cooperation with the National Volunteer Committee (CNV-GB) after the official IVD celebration on 5 December a workshop to strengthen employment opportunities of vulnerable youth (incl. those with disabilities) will take place.

As a UN Volunteer Disability Rights Officer with the Governance and Participation Unit of UNDP, I champion the rights of people with disabilities and act as a passionate voice for their support and inclusion.

Through my volunteer assignment I support and develop workplaces for people with disabilities. Fundamentally, my goal is to remove barriers to employability for disabled people in Belarus, by educating employers on how to create accessible and inclusive working environments. Belarus signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in September 2015 and committed to the creation of an inclusive community. Despite this undertaking, progress has been slow.