I knew that this is not the way I want myself or others to live—shares Priyanka. “I want people to be able to access whatever they need. So, being able to contribute to development, to turn my passions into purposes, I feel very fulfilled. It feels like a dream come true.”  From very early on, Priyanka had interest in International Relations—this was further motivated by being part of Model United Nations in secondary school. That curiosity soon led her to a degree in the same field and a goal of joining the United Nations.  

Sustainability is something we can't stop talking about. It's at the forefront of conversations and dialogues. So was the case for my volunteer assignment—promoting sustainable development guidelines in project planning and execution.

UNV has partnered with the Mayor’s Office in Cali, the host city of the event, to implement a strategy to mobilize volunteers for the event.   More than 1,200 people joined the training sessions in September to learn about how to volunteer for COP 16 and key topics such as biodiversity and sustainable development. Approximately 850 people will be selected to volunteer at this major event." Sandra Lino, UN Expert Volunteer for COP 16 volunteer mobilization. 

In Colombia, there are over 600 UN Volunteers supporting peace and providing humanitarian assistance. UN Volunteers assigned with IOM are now 15 percent of the total UNVs in the country. 

Carol is an Irish-funded UN Youth Volunteer with the UNDP Multi-Country Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean serving as Assistant Gender Analyst. She majored in political science and economics and her interest in gender issues and equality led her to work in multiple organizations and other volunteer positions. Her work experience and passion for development called her to be a UN Volunteer.

In Peru, UNV partnered with two UN entities that host the highest numbers of UN Volunteers, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to carry out a talent outreach mission on the northern border of the country. 

Delrin joined the UNV team in 2021 with an assignment in the Darién, a difficult-to-reach indigenous jungle area located on the Colombia-Panama border. A daily average of between 1,000 and 1,500 migrants pass through this place, and access to drinking water is a permanent need. "UNICEF installed water treatment plants in the Darién with which approximately 40,000 liters of drinking water are currently produced per day. My task is to monitor them so that local communities and migrant populations can efficiently use that water," Delrin continues.

The Peruvian towns of Tumbes, Piura, and Lambayeque are facing a triple crisis: climate change, a dengue fever outbreak and forced migration. It is estimated that 840,000 people need humanitarian assistance after heavy rains and are at risk of a possible "El Niño" phenomenon.