I am based in Dakar and part of a dedicated team of five people working towards the promotion and protection of human rights across the 14 West African States. A challenging and fascinating mission in a few words is but a gross understatement. My area of responsibility includes economic, social and cultural rights of the local people, the rights of people on the move, especially asylum seekers, as well the human rights situation in Niger. This is especially where I saw my mission bringing the United Nations closer to the people we serve.

My assignment as a UN Youth Volunteer in Youth Participation in Governance and Peacebuilding with the United Nations Development Programme is based in Ukraine. For the first six months, I was working in Kiev on business conferences and entrepreneurship promotion through targeted motivation campaigns – something that didn’t really perk my interest. It was like being in a world full of abbreviations, stacks of files and papers.

These 30 young people, whose assignments are funded by the Governments of the Czech Republic, France and Switzerland are a part of the UN Youth Volunteer programme. These assignments are an opportunity for young professionals to work with UN agencies on the frontlines of peace, developmental and humanitarian operations.

These 30 young people, whose assignments are funded by the Governments of the Czech Republic, France and Switzerland are a part of the UN Youth Volunteer programme. These assignments are an opportunity for young professionals to work with UN agencies on the frontlines of peace, developmental and humanitarian operations.

For two years, Irene has been working to strengthen and consolidate peace within Malian civil society. Her position involves working with Malian communities, particularly their young people, to help young people develop skills as peacemakers and promotors of tolerance, intercultural dialogue and non-violence. As part of her role as a young volunteer, Irene accompanies the Malian government as they cooperate with various ministries to implement national programs and policies aimed at youth development and peacebuilding.

As a UN Volunteer Specialist on Economic Development at UNDP Tajikistan’s Aid for Trade project, I liaise with our clients and partner organizations, monitoring the range of actions and results achieved by the project. UNDP’s Aid for Trade project supports human development through the creation of jobs and by enhancing the export capacity of small and medium sized businesses.

CNBC Africa in Nairobi interviews UNV EC Richard Dictus on the SWVR 2015 before its regional launch in Kenya

The Stewardship Report, a US news aggregator that describes itself as "connecting goodness", picked up the unv.org web story launching the State of the World's Volunteerism Report 2015.

TakePart, a US digital news and lifestyle magazine that claims to be "a social action platform for the conscious consumer" linked the findings of the newly launched State of World's Volunteerism Report 2015 to stories about ordinary people around the world who are "standing up for social justice".

"Volunteers are playing a vital role in making governments more accountable," Amanda Mukwashi, chief of the UNV's Volunteer Knowledge and Innovations Section told Forbes magazine in an interview. The VKIS Chief, who led the project team which authored the State of the World's Volunteerism Report 2015 supported by UNV, was interviewed during the launch of the SWVR at UN Headquarters in New York.