On Thursday February 19th, Richard Dictus, the Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme welcomed the Secretary General of the Arab Federation for Voluntary Activities (AFVA) Mr Yousuf Ali AlKazim from Doha, Qatar, at UNV Headquarters in Bonn. Mr Yousuf Ali AlKazim and Richard Dictus jointly launched the first ever Arabic version of UNV Annual Report 2013 which was made possible thanks to AFVA sponsorship. You can read the UNV Annual Report 2013 in Arabic by following this link.

On Wednesday February 11th, the Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) Richard Dictus, met with M. Romain Schneider, Minister of Luxembourg for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid in Luxembourg. Were also attending this meeting, Mrs Martine Schommer, General Director of Luxembourg Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid; M. Marc Pitzen, Senior Inspector for the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid and M. Georges Metz from the Ministry of Education and Youth in Luxembourg.

On Wednesday February 11th, the Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) Richard Dictus, met with M. Romain Schneider, Minister of Luxembourg for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid in Luxembourg. Were also attending this meeting, Mrs Martine Schommer, General Director of Luxembourg Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid; M. Marc Pitzen, Senior Inspector for the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid and M. Georges Metz from the Ministry of Education and Youth in Luxembourg.

Last night, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme brought the achievements, commitment and energy of five young volunteers into the international spotlight through a unique partnership with MBC Hope, the corporate social responsibility arm of Middle-East broadcasting giant MBC Group.  The UNV/MBC Al Amal Youth Volunteering Award highlights the capacity of young volunteers in the Arab region to drive positive change in their communities. Moreover, it provides a platform for young people themselves to inspire each other and feel confident about their future.

Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire:  In June 2014, 500 highly qualified and committed young Africans arrived in the United States to participate in the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Among them was Online Volunteer Jordan Sera from Côte d’Ivoire. Launched by President Barack Obama in 2010,YALI is a United States Department of State initiative aimed at educating and promoting networking among young African leaders. This includes a fellowship to study in the United States for several weeks.

A groundbreaking partnership between the Burkina Faso Ministry of Youth and Employment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and France Volontaires in 2007 led to the development of the first national law on volunteerism in West Africa, and mobilized more than 13,000 youth volunteers to support national development, including more than a thousand young volunteer teachers who served in classrooms that otherwise would have been closed due to a lack of staff.

International Volunteer Day 2014 has finally arrived! Make change happen, volunteer! This year, on this very special day, the United Nations Volunteers programme not only celebrates and recognizes volunteerism in all its facets, but pays special tribute to the participation of people in making change at all levels – locally, nationally and globally. For IVD 2014, please join us in acknowledging and enhancing people’s participation, engagement and voice, in shaping and implementing development policies and the world we want.

The IVD theme in 2014 theme underlines the ability of volunteerism to help create open spaces for dialogue and inclusion, ultimately fostering the participation of people from all age groups, genders, and backgrounds in decision-making processes. This grassroots engagement is currently helping to build a more inclusive process of crafting the post-2015 development agenda – the world's next plan for eradicating extreme poverty and achieving sustainable development.

Prishtina, Kosovo:  From my very first day working as a UN Youth Volunteer as part of UNDP’s Inclusive Growth Team in Kosovo, I started to realize that all the statistics showing high levels of unemployment, particularly among youth, are hiding the true and disturbing extent of this issue. With more than 35 percent of young Kosovars neither having a job nor going to school, they grow impatient, pessimistic about their chances to have a decent life, and frustrated with not being heard.

Establishing a Youth Volunteer Scheme is a guidance note developed based on lessons learned and good practice from UNV field experiences in working with national partners to establish youth volunteer schemes.  The publication builds on these experiences to describe in general lines the process for establishing a youth volunteer schemes.