Why do Member States contribute to the Special Voluntary Fund?   For rapid response: Swiftly deploying UN Volunteers during crises and emergencies.  To champion diversity and inclusion: Expanding volunteer opportunities for a diverse and inclusive United Nations.  To promote data-driven volunteering: Increasing global evidence and recognition of volunteering to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.   

The war continues unabated in its eleventh month. In this backdrop, Elena Mansour, from the Netherlands, serves as a UN Volunteer in Security Analysis and Training with the World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Bureau in Egypt. She reports on security and political developments regarding food security. This reporting is vital to forecast potential risks for famine.

The volunteer organization of the United Nations is United Nations Volunteers, in short – UNV, which provides grassroots-level response in emergencies and local-level support to peace, humanitarian and development initiatives.

Six months on, the war continues unabated.  Declared one of the deadliest conflicts in centuries on civilians and infrastructure, the evidence keeps multiplying on numerous cases of international humanitarian law violations, including against humanitarians and volunteers.  

The Community UN Volunteers were selected from 22 unions under Bandarban and Rangamati districts representing the marginalized group of ethnic minorities descending from tribal groups in the hard-to-reach terrains of Hill District Regions - 58% women. The volunteers began their assignments in December 2023 to support the multi-donor Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGiC).

How can I apply?  To become a volunteer, candidates must register and complete a profile through UNV's Unified Volunteering Platform (UVP).

The recent introduction of the UVP marks a significant turning point. This innovative platform has replaced a multitude of disconnected systems that were previously used to manage various aspects of volunteer recruitment. The result? A streamlined and unified approach that caters to UN Volunteers, candidates, United Nations partners, governmental bodies, and international organizations alike.

Usually, digital transformation often involves multiple projects, each handled by different project teams with distinct responsibilities. These comprise specialized individuals from different sections who contribute to the change. While this approach seems logical, it can inadvertently reinforce silos and hinder progress. Instead, building multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams that blend technology and business acumen and share accountability is critical. This shift away from grouping people by business function fosters collective ownership of shared outcomes.

UN Volunteers from China have contributed to UN programmes on poverty reduction, environmental protection, and other areas within China and across the globe. In 2022, 131 Chinese nationals served as UN Volunteers, 25 of whom were fully funded by China. In 2019, UNV and CYVA signed the first Fully Funded Programme Partnership to facilitate international assignments of UN Volunteers from China.

Elina and Martha were part of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) group that supported the coast-to coast immunization campaign rolled out from November 2022 until March 2023. They contributed to social mobilization and risk communication activities.