These experts cover a wide variety of highly specialized technical fields, which include accounting, agriculture, banking, civil engineering, computer science, economics, environmental protection, food processing, geology and mining, geothermal and reservoir engineering, industrial hygiene and safety, marine biology, manufacturing and marketing, medical and public health services, patents licensing, poultry breeding, telecommunications, urban planning, water resources development, etc.  

This option may be useful for rapid deployment in many areas, such as shoring up emergency responses, census activities, and in general for projects that require a quick scaling up or rapid adaptation to changing circumstances. This short-term initiative often suits diaspora nationals, the corporate sector and retirees.

Organizations requesting the services of an international UN Volunteer prepare a Description of Assignment which specifies the tasks to be performed by the UN Volunteer as well as the skills and competencies required for the assignment. Based on the Description of Assignment, UNV searches its candidate pool for profiles matching the requirements listed therein. Therefore, the first step you need to take in order to be considered as an international UN Volunteer is to register your profile in our candidate pool.

UN Volunteers are willing and able to work in all development and peace situations, including some of the most difficult contexts and remote locations. They work in local communities to leverage synergies between local knowledge and expert solutions. Additionally, they constitute a flexible, cost-effective resource in ensuring scale, impact and sustainability in peace and development interventions, including in crisis and post-crisis situations.

UNV supports peace and sustainable human development around the globe through the promotion of volunteerism and mobilization of volunteers. It is active in 122 countries and has field units in more than 90 countries and a number of regional offices. Every year, UNV directly mobilizes almost 7,000 UN Volunteers to serve either in their own countries or abroad. These UN Volunteers contribute to the peace and development projects and initiatives of 36 United Nations system partners. About 82 per cent of UN Volunteers come from countries of the global South.

UN Youth Volunteers can make an impact by improving access to and delivery of basic services, especially primary health care, HIV/AIDS and basic education, and enhancing community resilience and capacities for disaster risk reduction and for the environment, including for instance, by supporting community adaptation to climate change. They contribute to peacebuilding through enhancing conflict resolution skills among children and youth and promoting community dialogues.

UN Volunteers are skilled and have the expertise to help alleviate the plight of people in desperate situations.  Through their commitment, local knowledge and neutral status, they are able to build bridges between stakeholders in affected communities, by promoting mutual trust, enhancing ownership and building capacity.

This publication synthesizes the process a potential volunteer should complete in order to register with UNV.  It highlights a two-step process that covers understanding essential information for potential UN Volunteers and submitting basic information to create an account in the UNV candidate pool, then subsequently regularly tracking and updating, ‘My Profile’ – a website that allows potential candidates to access their account.

Online Volunteering enables UN Volunteers, through the Internet, to help address peace and development challenges and strengthen the impact of organizations. In addition, online volunteering offers the private sector a contemporary and modern tool to demonstrate corporate social responsibility, allowing employees to connect with a social cause from wherever they are and to contribute to tackling global challenges while pursuing a demanding career.

UNV has made a commitment to protect the environment and take action against climate change. The mitigation of negative effects, risk reduction, environmental management, adequate climate-change responses, better access to natural resources and food security, all require an integrated approach from a large scope of stakeholders. UNV's efforts encompass activities on people-centered and grassroots level to national and international campaigns.