UNV defines advocacy for volunteerism as a deliberate effort, based on evidence, aimed at persuading decision-makers to adopt policies and take actions that promote people’s participation in local and international development through volunteerism.

International UN Volunteers come from all walks of life. In the health sector UNV’s partners have requested volunteers knowledgeable and experienced as general medical practitioners, medical specialists and doctors specialized in public health; staff counselors and psychologists; midwives and nurses, dentists, pharmacists and laboratory technicians.

In the area of basic social services, UNV’s partners have requested volunteers knowledgeable and experienced in: primary health care, HIV/AIDS prevention, vulnerability and rights, women’s empowerment, democratic governance, population policy and administrative management, reproductive health, gender equity, safe motherhood, gender-based violence, national planning, child protection, universal primary education, community health workers, vocational training specialists and inclusive participation of citizens in local development cycles.

UNV has worked on many development projects and peace contexts with qualified medical doctors and other health-related professionals. These skilled professionals in medical and health services are often deployed to many locations throughout a country and provide immediate medical care to the local population and UN staff.

Volunteerism in peacekeeping and peacebuilding contributes to interventions in post-conflict environments addressing short-term, early recovery emergency needs in addition to building local and national capacities and understanding between states and its citizens to rebuild mutual trust.

In the priority area of community resilience for climate change and disaster risk reduction, the critical involvement of volunteers has been in disaster risk management, particularly by strengthening the capacity of communities to respond to and prevent disasters.