Atsuhito Nakata was deployed as a UN Volunteer Electoral Supervisor with the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) and supported the first general elections in the country. On 8 April 1993, Atsuhito was tragically ambushed and killed, together with his Khmer interpreter, Lek Sophiep, in the province of Kampong Thom.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear volunteers, It is my honour to welcome you today, as we pay tribute to the late Mr. Atsuhito Nakata. Thirty years after his passing in 1993, we are here to remember the dedication and commitment of a young man, who chose to serve as UN Volunteer to help build a peaceful and democratic society in Cambodia.

You could say that peace begins with healthcare. This is our way of supporting the ongoing peace efforts in the country, hoping that the handing over of all of this will lead to the people of Jonglei getting improved access to basic medical care. --Maria Guadalupe, one of the peacekeepers, on behalf of all volunteers involved in the generous initiative Doctor Ajak Garang affirmed that the unexpected assistance will make the intended difference, not least the extra beds.

It was early 2015 when I heard about UNV at an international job fair in Berlin. I had graduated with a law degree and newly qualified as a magistrate, with professional experience at the European Commission in Brussels. I was looking for opportunities that would take me far, and not place me behind a desk handling legal cases. While at the job fair, I attended an information session on German lawyers at the UN. Coincidently, the person leading that session was a former UN Volunteer, and that's how my journey in the UN system began.

UN Volunteers have played invaluable roles in UN humanitarian assistance from the first days of war in Ukraine and UNV is committed to staying and delivering in support of millions of displaced people.

Sanou Ardiouma Brice is 42. He is a national UN Volunteer with UNODC in Burkina Faso and serves as a Legal Assistant for prison affairs at the Bobo Dioulasso Prison and Correctional Facility in the Hauts Bassins region.

Nabin supports refugees through durable solutions and community-based protection. This includes counseling refugees, and serving in areas of child protection and prevention, and gender-based violence.  My innate passion for serving displaced people, particularly refugees, motivated me to work in this area and to be a UN Volunteer,” says Nabin.

Beatriz was looking to resume her career path. She had been out of a job for some years due to family reasons. It was early 2021 when she found a breakthrough in the form of a UN Volunteer assignment in data analysis and GIS.  I was researching information on the involvement of the United Nations in development and environmental protection when I came across this volunteering opportunity," says Beatriz. She explains why science is so important for sustainable development.

The UNDP project, Strengthening the Electoral Cycle in the Solomon Islands, supports national authorities to conduct credible and inclusive electoral processes, and is implemented with financial support from the Australian Government. It has the overarching objective of strengthening the link between elections and other key governance processes and institutions contributing to social cohesion and the development of a pluralistic society.

My name is Kana Endo; I hail from Japan. I embarked on my volunteering assignment last September and I will serve until February 2023. I am one of the three international UN Volunteers serving with the United Nations in Mongolia, together with another national UN Volunteer. Looking back on my childhood, I enjoyed learning new things but at the same time was very shy and introverted. However, I was very passionate about learning English and cultures in different countries. Therefore, I chose a high school with English course.