Today exists the largest generation of young people ever known.  Technologies like social media and mobile phones have created a generation that is better connected than ever before, awakening in them a new sense of power and potential.  Recent events like the Arab Spring have shown that young people are providing the energy, creative ideas and determination to drive reform, and demanding institutions that are more responsive to their needs and aspirations.

Today exists the largest generation of young people ever known.  Technologies like social media and mobile phones have created a generation that is better connected than ever before, awakening in them a new sense of power and potential.  Recent events like the Arab Spring have shown that young people are providing the energy, creative ideas and determination to drive reform, and demanding institutions that are more responsive to their needs and aspirations.

UNDP Associate Administrator Rebeca Grynspan travelled to Shanghai on 15 December 2012 to inspect the implementation and results of a UNDP/UNV project that is working to strengthen volunteering cooperation for regional development. While in Shanghai, Ms. Grynspan celebrated International Volunteer Day with over one thousand volunteers and children with special needs at the City Theatre.

‘Valuing Volunteering for A Beautiful China’ was the theme of the 2012 Volunteering Expo Plenary Forum at Peking University on 18 December. The forum showcased how volunteers are transforming Chinese towns and cities and giving of their time to provide valuable public services to poor and vulnerable groups nationwide. With 50 Chinese volunteer organisations in attendance UNV China also demonstrated how UN Volunteers are flying the flag for global development around the world.

On Monday 22 October, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme’s Executive Coordinator, Ms. Flavia Pansieri, met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

On Monday 22 October, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme’s Executive Coordinator, Ms. Flavia Pansieri, met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Arab Youth Volunteering for a Better Future Programme is an initiative led by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme to facilitate young people's participation in five Arab states through volunteerism as a positive and sustainable mechanism for effecting social change.

 

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to experience high levels of youth unemployment, social exclusion and irregular youth migration. In response, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to implement the Youth Employability and Retention Programme (YERP).