2024 marks a historic year for the UNV and IOM partnership in Colombia, as the number of available volunteer opportunities nationwide to join IOM teams has multiplied.
In Colombia, there are over 600 UN Volunteers supporting peace and providing humanitarian assistance. UN Volunteers assigned with IOM are now 15 percent of the total UNVs in the country.
Some 300 UN Volunteers support the work of the United Nations in Afghanistan, half with the United Nations Mission Assistance in Afghanistan (UNAMA). International UN Volunteer, Karuna Kunwar from Nepal, is a Staff Counsellor supporting UN personnel’s mental well-being and work-stress management with UNAMA in Kabul.
Karuna began her volunteer assignment in November 2022. She helps build the resilience of personnel and says, “My goal is to significantly impact the lives of those affected by various crises. Through personalized counseling sessions, I help individuals and groups manage their mental health and effectively cope with their challenges.”
I take pride in positively impacting Afghan women which has given me new perspectives and insights that continually help me to grow as an individual." -- Karuna Kunwar, UN Volunteer Staff Counsellor with UNAMA.
The research paper titled The role of volunteers in leaving no one behind: Supporting United Nations entities and national governments towards realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development demonstrates a wealth of data detailing the expansive efforts of volunteers.
Volunteerism knows no boundaries. This is even more true in an interconnected world and is particularly true for Pakistani nationals who serve as UN Volunteers abroad transcending geographical borders to make a meaningful impact in diverse communities around the globe.
Over the past five years, 80 Pakistanis served as international UN Volunteers in 30 countries with 25 UN partners. As of March this year, 47 of them are taking charge of advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in 21 countries and territories. They embody the spirit of compassion, empathy, and global citizenship. Their selfless service not only brings positive change to communities but also serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and shared humanity. As these individuals continue to bridge borders through their efforts, they contribute to a more interconnected and compassionate world.
In honour of Pakistan National Day, we share the outstanding stories of three of them on behalf of all: Fiza Mazhar, an international UN Volunteer serving as Programme Support with UNDP in Timor-Leste, Hina Javed, Associate Human Resource Officer with the World Health Organization in Hungary, and Muhammad Masood Shah serving with UNHCR in Ethiopia.
Pakistani nationals serving UN Volunteers serving abroad bring a wealth of skills, and expertise varying from knowledge management, public information, medical field, human resources management, disaster relief efforts to engineering. During their assignments, they also transfer their knowledge to local communities and empower them.
Responding to natural disasters
The UNDP Accelerator Lab in North Macedonia generates knowledge, tools, and ways of working related to the climate crisis. It also provides insights on topics including circularity, bio-waste, water scarcity and heat. Lucy A Tilley and Abdul Mustafazade are Online Volunteers brought onto the project through the UNV Online Volunteering Service. This is a story of their achievements as volunteers.
Lucy A Tilley, in collaboration with another Online Volunteer, Abdul Mustafazade, supported AccLab by designing communication materials, visuals and social media posts on collective intelligence, solidarity and crowd-mapping.
AccLab disseminated these materials on the UNDP website and social media platforms. This helped raise awareness on climate action, sustainable development and sustainable water management while also increasing the participation of local people.
Imagine a world where every message and every comment has the power to make a difference. As a Social and Behaviour Change volunteer, I'm here to show you how Online Volunteering is shaping a better future for people. My name is Marharyta Starynets and I am an Online Volunteer.
Every action makes a difference. At times, a very small action can have a huge impact.
The impacts of climate change on people's lives and ecosystems cannot be ignored and are being felt in every corner of the globe. Not simply an environmental issue, it's a humanitarian crisis.
Shockingly, over the last five years alone, approximately 1.59 billion individuals have been affected by climate and weather-related disasters. As a result, around 130 million people have been forced to leave their homes and have become internally displaced.
