Hugo brought to UNDP his strong background in communications and digital marketing, technical skills, as well as a drive to contribute to the development of his home country, Guatemala. He has made a significant impact in various projects. One of these is En Marcha Digital, a strategic initiative that supports entrepreneurs in adapting their business models during the COVID-19 pandemic, equipping them with free digital tools to reach their clients in novel ways.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has been working with the Ministry of Health to support the country's preparedness to receive vaccines and rollout vaccination.

As the Minister of Health stated at the time, "the pandemic exposed existing inequalities and capacity to respond in many countries in Africa." That is why UNDP, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, designed a comprehensive capacity development project that included a wide spectrum of young professionals to help strengthen key areas in the health sector of São Tomé and Príncipe, identified as critical in mitigating the impacts of the pandemic.

Now a year into the pandemic, global health matters have become the most important issue facing peace and development worldwide. Indeed, as a part of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, good health and wellbeing are crucial not only for those in need, but also for a more prosperous and sustainable world. "No country will be safe from COVID-19 until all countries are safe." --UN Secretary-General António Guterres

In 2020, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme supported system-wide action on COVID-19 by investing US $2 million to mobilize national UN Volunteers in 79 countries and with 18 UN entities. The resources were dedicated from UNV's Special Voluntary Fund* (SVF), a flexible multi-donor fund that allows UNV to provide timely and strategic investments when needed, such as during the ongoing crisis.  

Online Volunteers supporting the Istanbul Regional Hub of UNDP initially completed tasks in research, translation and economic modeling to support projects on non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and control across low- and middle-income countries. Soon their work reached unexpected dimensions: online researchers monitored data and information on COVID-19, NCDs and their risk-factors; updated a dedicated research and policy database; reviewed the latest research on COVID-19 and NCDs; and researched regional and national best practices on prevention and control of NCDs.

It's been more than a year since the COVID-19 outbreak started. Although there have been countless challenges, which were hard to resolve, we are enduring these testing times well together. Among those who have been tirelessly fighting COVID-19 – either on the frontlines or by wearing masks or staying at home – we would like to recognize and honour our UN Volunteers' tremendous efforts to address the challenges of the pandemic.