For Fahamiya Abdou, World Environment Day is special for more than one reason. As a highly experienced environmental professional, preserving nature and the environment has always been close to her heart. But World Environment Day also marks the anniversary of her journey to joining the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a UN Volunteer for an ecosystem restoration project. 

The agreement was signed remotely by Dr Nadia Bastaki, Vice President Medical Services, Corporate Social Responsibility, Etihad Aviation Group, and Mr Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator, UNV. The collaboration between the two entities will strengthen volunteering globally and expand the reach to customers of Etihad. UNV supports volunteering globally and in the Arab countries and aims to engage Etihad volunteers in advocacy events, increase awareness of volunteering opportunities, and accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals to leave no one behind.

Carlos started his first assignment as a UN Volunteer in 1992 with elections in Cambodia. He is one of 28 UN Volunteers who served under the UNDP-implemented Electoral Assistance Project of the United Nations in Bolivia, a project that sought to re-establish trust in the electoral body, as part of the UN’s peacebuilding efforts in the country.

For UN Volunteers, many of whom have served with UNAMID for years, this is an emotional period, particularly as they bid farewell to local communities in Darfur. Many UN Volunteers hope that their work and peace dividends gained in this peacekeeping operation over the last thirteen years can be sustained, at least for the sake of the vulnerable people who have endured suffering for far too long.

Since the establishment of the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) in 2007, 696 UN Volunteers have served with the mission.  These have included specialists in human rights, civil affairs, protection and electoral support, alongside technical and administrative experts as well. This year, UNAMID is closing down and is being replaced with a new mission, the United Nations Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS)

To me, volunteerism is a very fascinating journey of exploring myself, diverse cultures, communities and the world at large. In January 2016, I felt I should pass on my skills further to a more global community. Having acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Procurement and Logistics Management with CIPS, I decided to register for Online Volunteer opportunities with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.

From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, the Mano River Basin sub-region of West Africa was torn by civil wars that started in Liberia, and soon spread to neighboring countries. With all of West Africa under the threat of destabilization, the UN Security Council deployed six peacekeeping operations across the region from 1993 to 2018, to help build peace and protect local populations.

The theme of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers this year is about leveraging the power of youth for peace and security. It relates well to the contributions UN Volunteers make to peace and development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  The vision of the UN Volunteers (UNV) programme is of a peaceful and democratic society where the young play an active role in cultivating peace and development. We improve youth representation in political processes, and policies that directly impact their lives.

I didn’t know much about Mali. But after eight years spent between legal research and advocacy in different countries, I needed to be more in the field, closer to people, to understand how to implement the law.