UN Volunteers powered by passion are contributing to peace in the DRC

Davy Moundongo, Programme Manager, DRC
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The challenges and threats faced this year by our UN Volunteers are greater than usual, as they had to cope with the COVID-19 crisis, and the continued need to support the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The passion to volunteer motivates our 350 UN Volunteers serving with MONUSCO to make a difference in people's life. Each of them is adding value to sustaining peace. I am humbled by their constant drive to deliver and learn, even in the face of dire difficulties. 

The theme of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers this year is about leveraging the power of youth for peace and security. It relates well to the contributions UN Volunteers make to peace and development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

The vision of the UN Volunteers (UNV) programme is of a peaceful and democratic society where the young play an active role in cultivating peace and development. We improve youth representation in political processes, and policies that directly impact their lives.

Ensuring those affected by floods in Timor-Leste have access to dignified and safe solutions

UNV partnering with UNFPA
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The Government of Timor-Leste declared a state of emergency in Dili on 8 April 2021 following severe flooding. This disaster worsened the situation of thousands of families in the capital and surrounding low-lying areas, coming on top of the consequences of and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretariat of State for Civil Protection is leading the humanitarian response, supported by UN entities and development partners.

UN Volunteers in Timor-Leste were at the heart of the humanitarian mission, supporting displaced communities. Heavy rains in early April had caused flash floods that affected the livelihoods of over 25,700 households in 13 municipalities across the country.  

UNDP and UNV collaborate to overcome COVID-19 socio-economic implications for vulnerable populations

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The efforts of the Government of Belarus to contain negative implications of COVID-19 are centered around two key engagement areas: mobilization of the healthcare system for early detection of COVID-19 infections and development of measures to remedy the adverse socio-economic impact of the pandemic in the country. In this context, the UNDP Belarus team works closely with national and international partners to deploy new solutions and provide support to the most vulnerable communities. UNDP's COVID-19 Integrated Response guides interventions, with a focus on moving beyond recovery towards 2030.

Hanna Yahorava, Coordination Specialist on Volunteerism and COVID-19 Response and Recovery, and Katsiaryna Andronava, Volunteer Engagement Specialist, serve with UNDP Belarus. The UN Volunteers have been working on COVID-19 response and recovery measures and socio-economic support, with the integration of volunteerism solutions. Their assignments are sponsored by UNV, from its Special Voluntary Fund.*

Pursuing social research and data analysis to combat hunger in Venezuela

Saúl Velasco, UN Volunteer with FAO in Venezuela
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"One month after my arrival in Caracas, the COVID-19 crisis began," UN Volunteer Saúl Velasco, from Spain, tells us. "The lockdown established in the country for health reasons made us change our routines, but we all did our best to adapt.” Saúl had just been assigned as a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Associate at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Venezuela. This was his first experience within a UN agency, after having worked previously in Spain, Luxembourg and beyond, in the preparation of statistical studies for the European Union (EU) and government offices.

Saúl arrived in South America full of enthusiasm for this project. He was eager to put his professional and educational background in applied social research and data analysis at the service of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially, SDG2, achieving zero hunger. As part of the Resilience and Emergency Team within FAO, Saúl loved the idea of being able to contribute to increasing agricultural production with a resilient approach, emphasizing collaboration with vulnerable rural communities.

Evaluating for an inclusive United Nations

Sandra Koch, Evaluation Focal Point, UNV Executive Office
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At the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, we work to pave a path towards a more inclusive UN system. Every year, we are deploying a growing number of UN Volunteers with disabilities around the globe. Between 2017 and 2020, the “Talent and Capacity Building Programme for an Inclusive UN System for Persons with Disabilities” was at the heart of our inclusion efforts. To make sure that we learn from this three-year project and ultimately boost inclusion in the United Nations system, we undertook a final evaluation in 2020.

Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), this project aimed at making the UN’s workforce more inclusive by deploying UN Volunteers with disabilities to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other UN partners.

Putting everyone’s wellbeing first

We commissioned the final project evaluation in March 2020. Setting out to identify barriers to disability inclusion within the UN system, we did not expect the evaluation itself would encounter an unprecedented obstacle: the start of the evaluation coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

As per the Independent Evaluation Office’s guidance, we put a principle of ‘Do No Harm’ first and undertook an all-virtual evaluation process with remote data collection to protect the well-being of everyone involved.

UN Volunteers fighting COVID-19 in São Tomé and Príncipe

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São Tomé and Príncipe was one of the last countries on the African continent affected by the pandemic. Given it is both a least developed and small island developing state with a fragile economy, the fear of a disproportionate impact of COVID-19 has been growing since the outbreak of the pandemic. In April 2020, the Government turned to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for support in strengthening its national COVID-19 response capacity.  

As the Minister of Health stated at the time, "the pandemic exposed existing inequalities and capacity to respond in many countries in Africa." That is why UNDP, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, designed a comprehensive capacity development project that included a wide spectrum of young professionals to help strengthen key areas in the health sector of São Tomé and Príncipe, identified as critical in mitigating the impacts of the pandemic.

"What is not reported is invisible" - volunteers behind the scenes

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Across the world, partners in the wider development system are invested in addressing the pandemic that has changed our lives over the past year. Our priorities include coordinating the humanitarian response, monitoring its results, evaluating impact, planning vaccinations and building capacity of counterparts. These essential pillars of the COVID-19 response require dedicated human resources, skilled in time management and multitasking and equipped with ownership. In come UN Volunteers, serving behind the scenes.

Oleksandra Malukalo joined the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Ukraine as a national UN Volunteer last year. She is among national UN Volunteers deployed in 79 countries and with 18 UN entities through an investment of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. UNV dedicated US $2 million for this purpose from its Special Voluntary Fund* (SVF), a flexible multi-donor fund that allows UNV to provide timely and strategic investments.

Protecting the rights of prisoners in Benin

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Despite Government efforts, the prison occupancy rate in Benin is 170.19 per cent. This situation, which forces detainees to live in promiscuity and poor hygiene, constitutes a threat in the context of COVID-19. Accordingly, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has deployed 10 UN Volunteers (seven doctors and three psychologists) to improve health services in the prisons of Benin.

According to Mr Aouale Mohamed Abchir, the UNDP Resident Representative in Benin, the action of UN Volunteers in providing medical care and psychological support allows more than 10,300 detainees to exercise their right to health. 

UN Volunteers are the first players in this project. Their work contributes directly to the good health and wellbeing of the prison population, reduces inequalities, and helps leave no one behind. --Aouale Mohamed Abchir, UNDP Resident Representative

UN Volunteers ensuring healthy lives in Guinea-Bissau

UNV partnering with WHO
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In Guinea-Bissau, three UN Volunteers are working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote a healthier environment for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 crisis. In the spirit of our partnership, we highlight their contributions in achieving the global goal of good health and wellbeing for everyone.

The UN Volunteers' fresh youth attitude, talent to navigate new technologies, and boldness for new ideas and innovation are highly appreciated. They all bring a genuine wish for change and a strong commitment to contributing to the achievement of SDG3: Good Health and Wellbeing. --Dr Jean-Marie Kipela, WHO representative in Guinea-Bissau

The global health legacy of UN Volunteers

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Through the years, UN Volunteers have been on the frontlines of global health crisis campaigns worldwide. This wealth of experience makes UN Volunteers ready to support vaccine rollout campaigns, as part of the COVID-19 response.

Now a year into the pandemic, global health matters have become the most important issue facing peace and development worldwide. Indeed, as a part of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, good health and wellbeing are crucial not only for those in need, but also for a more prosperous and sustainable world.

"No country will be safe from COVID-19 until all countries are safe." --UN Secretary-General António Guterres

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