Although Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 for gender equality and International Women’s Day, instilling the spirit of the goal, do not explicitly focus on women with disabilities, they consistently focus on the empowerment of all women and leaving no one behind.  How do we ensure that we empower all women across the board? For that, it’s important to first look the entire picture.  

The 2025 report aims to address the challenges faced in measuring volunteer work and bring clarity to the discourse on the scale and scope of volunteers' contributions.  Over the last three months, UNV conducted three online exchange discussions on several topics through the Knowledge Portal.  The discussions and consultations were strategically designed to gather expert opinions and insights to shape the State of the World's Volunteerism Report 2025.

The tactile dance of dots beneath fingertips, once a key to unlocking knowledge, has now become a beacon guiding change on global platforms, helping to champion inclusivity and accessibility. 

This monumental decision, achieved through the collaboration of Member States of the General Assembly marks a pivotal moment in recognizing the invaluable contribution of volunteers worldwide towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The theme of this year's IVD centers on the power of everyone - collective action - if everyone did. If everyone volunteered the world would be a better place.  Imagine more than eight billion of us volunteering. Limitless possibilities for sustainable development - food and education for everyone, clean environment and good health, inclusive and peaceful societies, and more.

This year, we mark IVD by recognizing the power of collective action: if everyone did.

The recent introduction of the UVP marks a significant turning point. This innovative platform has replaced a multitude of disconnected systems that were previously used to manage various aspects of volunteer recruitment. The result? A streamlined and unified approach that caters to UN Volunteers, candidates, United Nations partners, governmental bodies, and international organizations alike.

Leonardo Martínez is a UN Volunteer serving as Protection, Childhood and Humanitarian Action Specialist with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Colombia, which is the lead host country for Venezuelan migrants and refugees. These migrants and refugees face a hoard of humanitarian issues. The situation is worsened by internal armed conflict, as approximately 6.9 million people in rural areas are under the control or influence of non-state armed groups.

United Nations entities United Nations entities can tap into the full range of categories of UN Volunteers. Partners can refer to the UN Partner Toolkit for information on the process to recruit UN Volunteers and engage Online Volunteers.