Cho's fascination with Mongolia's development trajectory began during a previous project with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Witnessing the nation's hurdles firsthand, she felt compelled to contribute on a broader scale. The UN Volunteer opportunity seemed like the perfect platform to explore the UN system's role in fostering sustainable development, especially on human mobility issues.

I arrived in Kyrgyzstan aged 25, along with my spouse and child. My assignment as a UN Volunteer was to assist communities to overcome poverty in remote areas of the country. My experience as a UN Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan, from 1999-2001, was unique and enriching. It allowed me to become a professional and ultimately, it paved the way for my future.  It is truly the most amazing and life-changing journey I have been on.  

Finally, we are reaching our destination, after nearly 700 kilometers on a bumpy road. The jeep approaches a small town laid in the midst of the endless steppe. There we meet E., an elected representative from a Citizens’ Representative Hural, which is the name for local self-governing bodies in Mongolia.

The training was meant to inform, prepare, engage and make the volunteers better understand the role of UN Youth Volunteers in the context of the United Nations. These 30 youth volunteers were part of UNV’s Full Funding programme. They left today for their funding countries, the Czech Republic, France and Switzerland. In just a matter of days, they will start their volunteer assignments in Asia, Africa and Europe. Their enthusiasm and desire to make a difference to the world resonated throughout the induction training. 

With over 4,000 participants, the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM11), held July 15-16 2016, was the largest diplomatic gathering to come to Mongolia to date. In addition to the main international summit, there were nine preceding meetings. Some 1,200 young men and women assisted these events as youth volunteers, garnering much recognition for their great work. The President of Mongolia commended them for being the first-ever and the biggest youth volunteer group in Mongolia. Each and every volunteer was given a certificate of appreciation.

With over 4,000 participants, the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM11), held July 15-16 2016, was the largest diplomatic gathering to come to Mongolia to date. In addition to the main international summit, there were nine preceding meetings. Some 1,200 young men and women assisted these events as youth volunteers, garnering much recognition for their great work. The President of Mongolia commended them for being the first-ever and the biggest youth volunteer group in Mongolia. Each and every volunteer was given a certificate of appreciation.

Stepanka Pechackova, from Czech Republic, recounts her experience as a UN Youth Volunteer in Mongolia.

In October 2015, the newly formed United Nations Volunteer (UNV) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific held an event in Bangkok inspired by the TEDx Program to provide a platform for UN Volunteers to illustrate concrete examples of the role and recognition of volunteerism as an essential contribution to the regional efforts for peace and development. The UN Volunteers spoke to UNV partners, i.e. representatives of UN Member States, UN agencies and volunteer involving organizations, about their assignments and the impact they were making within communities in the region.

Since poverty has been rising in Mongolia over the past 20 years, the National Volunteering Programme has been encouraging local communities to be active in helping their own citizens, build capacities of their own and work towards development. With the assistance of NGOs, international and local volunteers have initiated awareness-raising campaigns on volunteerism to better inform the government, ministries and local communities about its benefits.