On 17 December 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution A/RES/79/148 calling to strengthen volunteerism for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and leaving no one behind. The resolutions recognizes the universal desire of people to contribute through volunteering and the importance of ensuring the safety and security of volunteers. It also recognizes the vital role of young people and welcomes the participation of persons with disabilities, including as on-site and online UN Volunteers.
The resolutions welcomes the progress made towards mainstreaming of disability inclusion and ensuring the enjoyment of the rights of persons with disabilities in volunteerism, and noting the importance of removing barriers to ensure their full, equal and meaningful participation in volunteerism. It also acknowledges that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development creates an unprecedented global and national urgency to accelerate progress in the recognition, promotion, facilitation, networking and integration of volunteer action by and between Governments, communities, civil society, the private sector, academia, the media and international actors, including the United Nations system.
To read the resolution if full, please click here.
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Here is a look at UN General Assembly resolutions on volunteerism from 2023 dating back to 1968.
2023: UNGA Resolution 78/127 International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, 2026 “appeals to Member States, as well as other participants in the observance of the International Year, to recognize and measure the contribution of formal and informal volunteers and volunteerism in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, integrate volunteerism into national development planning, introduce policies that remove all inequalities and risks in volunteering, and support the setting up of knowledge and information platforms to develop and promote new forms of volunteering.”
2021: UNGA Resolution 76/131 Fiftieth anniversary of United Nations Volunteers and twentieth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers “encourages Member States to support volunteer action for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including the integration of volunteerism into sector priorities and national development strategies, plans and policies”, and “requests United Nations entities, as well as United Nations country teams, to reflect the distinct contributions of volunteering in Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks and country programme documents.”
2018: UNGA Resolution A/RES/73/140 Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development encouraged the participation and integration of all people including youth, older persons, women, migrants, refugees, persons with disabilities, minorities and other marginalized groups in volunteer activities. It also encouraged Governments, in partnership with the United Nations, the private sector, civil society and others to integrate volunteerism into national development strategies.
2015: The Plan of Action was welcomed by Member States, in resolution UNGA Resolution A/RES/70/129, which also requested the SG to report to the 73rd UNGA on the implementation of the resolution.
2012:UNGA Resolution A/RES/67/138 included a request for a Plan of Action to integrate volunteering in peace and development in the next decade and beyond.
1997: UNGA Resolution A/RES/52/17 proclaimed 2001 the International Year of Volunteers. Every UNGA resolution since, has had its base in that particular IYV resolution. From 2002, the resolution followed a triennial circle, reporting on the follow-up / implementation of IYV.
1985: UNGA Resolution A/RES/40/212 proclaimed the 5 December annually as the International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (IVD).
From 1982 through 1968: The first 10 General Assembly resolutions were about volunteerism in the context of the creation, focus and institution of United Nations Volunteers (UNV).
Explore all the United Nations Resolutions highlighting the importance of volunteering in relation to a development topic and see how they have evolved since 1968 by accessing the UNV Knowledge Portal here.