Since 1971, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been partnering with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme to promote human development around the world. During 2012-2022, over 11,000 UN Volunteers served with UNDP, supporting its mission to help countries to simultaneously reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development that leads to transformational change, bringing about real improvements in people’s lives.
How does the recruitment of UN Volunteers add value to UNDP?
As an efficient, speedy and diverse talent solution for UN partners, UN Volunteers serve with UN entities to bring people to the forefront of development, peace and humanitarian issues. UNV manages a pool of over 350,000 talented and qualified UN Volunteers who can be deployed to bolster the delivery of UNDP’s programmes and support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UN Volunteers assist UNDP in localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through people-centered approaches. They contribute to UNDP’s initiatives on poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS prevention, democratic governance, social and community development, gender empowerment, crisis prevention and recovery, and the preservation of the environment via energy efficiency.
UN Volunteers are a dedicated force for development and contribute tremendously to UNDP’s results in the region. We are proud to nurture local volunteerism as a valuable way to tackle some of the most pressing development challenges facing the region. --Valerie Cliff, Deputy Regional Director for UNDP in Asia and the Pacific
Because UN Volunteers often work within communities, they are well-placed to support household surveys and data analysis for use in policy development and monitoring progress towards SDGs. Today, UNDP is host to UN Volunteers in more than 100 countries worldwide. More than 50 per cent of these volunteers are serving in Africa, supporting both peace and development in the region.
Read more about UN Volunteers serving with UNDP.
UN Volunteers are experienced personnel available to support UNDP’s mandate. In 2022, over 83 per cent of UN Volunteers came from the global South, offering an understanding of complex local development challenges and societal norms. UN Volunteers can strengthen the impact, sustainability and inclusivity of development initiatives, fostering participation and generating local ownership.
How can your office recruit UN Volunteers?
UNV offers different categories of UN Volunteers to suit the needs of UN partners, such as international and national specialists, youth or online volunteers. UN Volunteers can serve from two weeks to up to four years, depending on the category of volunteer. UNV manages all contractual, legal and management aspects to help minimize the administrative impacts for the host organization.
To partner with UNV and recruit UN Volunteers to support UNDP’s programmes and operations, contact the UNV Field Representation or Regional Office for guidance and support.
For further information, refer to UNV’s website at: https://toolkit.unv.org.
