In crises and emergency situations, volunteering provides governments and civil society organizations with greater flexibility and response capacity. This is particularly true in humanitarian crises, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic

Rosana and Yasmin’s assignments focus on understanding humanitarian needs in the states covered by the Maracaibo Field Coordination Hub (Trujillo, Falcón, Lara, and Zulia). Rosana is based in Lara and Yasmín covers all the states of Maracaibo. Through conversations with the local communities and local organizations on the ground, these two women UN Volunteers track humanitarian assistance requirements in each area.

During the Global Technical Meeting (GTM) on Reimagining Volunteerism for the 2030 Agenda, high-ranking officials and volunteers exchanged on how volunteering is contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), how governments and organizations can better protect volunteers, and how volunteering can and should be recognized.

TRAPPED IN NO ONE’S LAND Andrea Nomdedeu started her UNV assignment with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Mexico in April 2019. As the one responsible for migration and internal displacement, she monitors the situation of thousands of Central American migrants who pass through the country each year, in many cases to try to enter the United States. She describes the dramatic situation of the irregular migrants held in detention centers in Mexico.

Despite the need for immediate response to the threats posed by the pandemic, countries must maintain a long-term perspective. The protection of human rights would help maintain peace and security and ensure the continuity of sustainable development, especially in post-conflict states such as Guatemala. In line with this, OHCHR continues to fulfill its mandate in Guatemala – albeit virtually due to COVID-19. 

In July, a Global Technical Meeting on Reimagining Volunteerism for the 2030 Agenda, organized on the sidelines of the high-level Political Forum by UNV and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, aimed to identify volunteerism concepts and practices that can effectively accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

So, what does “move towards more people-centered solutions” mean in practice? The answer is surprisingly straightforward. It resides in the opportunities created for citizens to meaningfully engage in the issues affecting them. The more engagement is secured, the more impactful will development initiatives be. From this perspective, volunteering is perhaps the greatest and most underutilized asset in development assistance today.

The shadow pandemic of violence against women and girls is one of these issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about one in three women worldwide have suffered physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives. The scourge of gender-based violence (GBV), one of the most ubiquitous human rights violations in the world, is exacerbated during the COVID-19 crisis as traditional prevention and attention mechanisms are inhibited.

Virginia Pérez, Chief of the Child Protection Programme with UNICEF in Bolivia, drew on her past experience as a volunteer with a free phone helpline in Spain that assisted children, recalling the impact it had and how they were able to enter the heart of a family through the phone.

The main goal of the initiative is to facilitate the integration of those who have declared their intention to reject violence, stop fighting and join the social, economic and political life of the country, as well as to promote the understanding of the local population and the reparation of open wounds within the civil society.