It is simply not possible to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without including people at all stages, at all levels, and at all times. Volunteering makes people part of the solutions. Volunteerism lets people and communities participate in their development. 

I was a UN Volunteer in the Republic of Congo from 2016 to 2018. I was an Associate Logistics Officer based with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) field office in Betou. I coordinated logistics during the repatriation of Central African Republic refugees from Likouala to their country of origin. Despite immense challenges, it was a successful repatriation operation and this inadvertently gave steam to my passion for supporting the humanitarian context.

With a background in Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Deanna sees her volunteer assignment with the United Nations as a platform for meaningful contribution to sustainability—something she's been passionately pursuing as part of her university studies as well.   I consolidate climate vulnerability and disaster risk data from diverse UN entities and development partners into a unified platform, thus enhancing data accessibility and improving urban planning and decision-making processes.” Yi Nam Xu, UN Volunteer with UN-Habitat.

The Report sets out progress made by Member States and other stakeholders in creating opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to participate in development processes through volunteering and working in partnership with volunteers to address challenges arising from conflicts, disasters and climate change.

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.

I am based with UNMISS in the Malakal Field Office and responsible for implementing the Beyond Bullets and Ballots project. I believe that when we give the relevant knowledge and tools to communities, we promote a self-reliant society. Building strong community ties is the most important building block here and of course, complementing that with policies that are community friendly. The project is a step in the right direction. It brings together the local government officials, electoral officers, police, military personnel, and members of civil society.

Tell us more about your role at UNMISS. UNMISS is one of the world’s largest peacekeeping missions. The South Sudanese nation is a young one having been declared independent in July 2011. As a staff counsellor, I often work behind the scenes — supporting the well-being of frontline staff. Still, I often get the opportunity to interact directly with communities, training hundreds of people on healthy lifestyles and many other health-related matters, in particular those related to stress reduction and its benefit to overall health.