The disability inclusion strategy of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme enables UN partners to include persons with disabilities in their workforce, thus expanding opportunities, diversity and representation. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development put forward 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which reflect the rights of persons with disabilities. This vision of a better future can only be achieved with the full participation of everyone, including persons with disabilities.

Samuel Kimani started as a national UN Volunteer Youth Leadership Coordinator with the Youth Sounding Board in May 2022. As part of the board, he helped establish the youth marker, which offers tools for mainstreaming youth across programming. One of these is a scale that rates progress in building youth confidence and establishing inclusive spaces. In the past, youth mainstreaming was simply about ticking a box. Now, youth working groups conduct a thorough analysis of all initiatives.

Maissa Abdellaoui is an international UN Volunteer with a French Algerian background who serves with UNICEF in Senegal. Under the Gender and Exclusion programme, Maissa provides technical support to women teacher networks, menstruation hygiene kits or best referred to as 'dignity kits' for schools and girls, and organization for support groups for girls. 

Djimet Nangtour is a visually impaired national UN Volunteer deployed to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Chad. His assignment is fully funded by the Government of Germany. As a Legal Advisor and Human Rights Specialist, he is responsible for conducting analyses of national laws and regulations. The advice and guidance he provides to his host organization helps to identify abuses and/or violations of the human rights of individuals, including people with disabilities.

According to my mother; Miriam Palma, when I was one year old, I was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. At the age of four, I completely lost my sight. My family was in shock by my situation, they did all that they could, and there was no option for surgery. I have had to deal with my condition my entire life. "Today, I can say that I found the way to reach my full potential," says Antonio Palma, UN Volunteer serving for the UN Resident Coordinator's Office.

The 2022 SWVR reveals that cooperation between volunteers and governments helps build collaborative decision-making. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative research with case studies from around the world, it also highlights the role of local volunteers as brokers between their communities and state authorities and underlines the diverse paths volunteering offers to civic participation.

With a background and experience in law, access to justice and youth empowerment, Tiffany positioned herself to support the Governance portfolio within the multi-country office. She was involved in the programmatic and implementation side of things at the start.

According to the United Nations, women make up 57 per cent of volunteers globally. In the case of Venezuela, at least 60 per cent of the UN Volunteers serving in the country are women. This figure is even higher in the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Venezuela, since the agency hosts 20 per cent of the total number of UN Volunteers serving in the country.

It’s different when you have suffered from discrimination yourself and when you are part of a minority. These life experiences help you develop more empathy towards those who need assistance. --Alfonso Zabaleta, UN Volunteer Humanitarian Affairs Access Officer with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Venezuela

When I got the opportunity at UNDP in 2019, I was working at the university as a teaching assistant. I thought UNDP would give me a chance to grow and also contribute to everything that I wanted to do in society. I was already interested in inclusive development, inclusive governance, social justice, climate change, and I wanted to play a part in addressing social inequalities.