We live in turbulent times and compacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of mental health is not only relevant but crucial. Mental health is more than the presence or absence of a mental illness. It is a crossroad between emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.

Together We Can: experiences of volunteers responding to COVID-19 in the Arab States. Thursday 3 December 2020, 13:00 to 15:00  UTC+2:00 - Live-streamed on @UNVArabStates Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UNVArabStates  The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and the International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent in the Middle East and North Africa (IFRC MENA), are pleased to invite you to join us online for the virtual Blue Room talks for IVD2020.

Digital readiness is key to our success. i.e. building and refining of capabilities and culture to perform and transform. According to the Institute for Digital Transformation, "The more prepared or ready an organization, the more likely it will achieve its desired outcome. 'Digital readiness' is being prepared for the disruption of Digital Transformation." 

The Norwegian Government supports full funding of UN Volunteer assignments for Norwegian nationals. In 2023, 13 Norwegian nationals served as UN Volunteers, with 9 of them receiving full funding from the Government of Norway. Norway is one of the 124 co-sponsors of the 2018 UN General Assembly Resolution on Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/C.3/73/L.13).

Transcript: Happy UN Day!   This United Nations Day, 2020, marks the 75th Anniversary of our organization, the United Nations.

The Government of Germany is a long-standing key partner of UNV, and regular partner consultations take place with the two lead ministries in Bonn and Berlin, and with the German mission to the UN in New York, to assess and advance this multi-faceted partnership: the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Federal Foreign Office. The focus of the recent dialogue was on the current collaboration as well as broader issues relate

2020 is the year when UNV moved towards strong financial BI capabilities, which has facilitated delivering an exhaustive, accessible and accurate financial picture of the organization and set the baseline for stronger financial monitoring and forecasting. We are proud that UNV has invested into BI and that through our digital transformation project we are transforming how UNV is using data and statistics for all critical domains. --Frederic Le Maistre, Chief, ICT Unit at UNV

Nanami Akimoto joined UN-Habitat as a UN Volunteer Programme Officer in April 2018 under the Human Resource Development Programme for Peace and Development. Her assignment was fully funded by Japan. She had broad expectations of supporting the work of UN-Habitat Cambodia in advocacy and playing a critical role developing and maintaining networks with donors, development partners and other UN agencies.

There is no doubt that 2020 has been challenging. Difficult work situations, changing contexts, working from home and in many instances, disconnection from friends and family. It has forced us to confront our personal and professional realities in new ways. In my personal situation, I am a single mother and COVID-19 has taught me I wear many hats – I am a mother, father, student, team leader, subordinate. Of course, this has been hard on my mental health and wellbeing.