As the pandemic continued to spread, UN Volunteers across the world stepped forward. They ensured marginalized and disadvantaged communities, including people with disabilities, indigenous communities, refugees and people on the move are included in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

We are proud of our UN Volunteers, who bring such positive energy, knowledge and talent to the team. UNDP has long placed youth at the heart of our development framework and is eager to advance the inclusion of youth with disabilities. I strongly believe the contributions of our volunteers will be a catalyst in addressing many challenges people with disability face in the country. --Aliona Niculita, Resident Representative a.i. , UNDP Pakistan

Over the years, UNDP Uganda has been central in supporting national HIV/AIDS management activities and events in Uganda, such as participating in the development of the HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plan 2020-2025, integrating HIV and human rights in the National Development Plan 2020-2025 and convening HIV/AIDs awareness events, for example on World AIDS Day, International Candle Light Day and Philly Lutaaya Day. UNDP Uganda’s engagement in these spaces has emphasized human rights programming within the HIV fight.

From India, to Uzbekistan and Zambia, the spirit and commitment of volunteerism is alive and well.

The 2019 Human Development Report noted that one of the most persistent forms of inequality is gender inequality. Rooted in social norms and exclusion, girls and women are more likely to have fewer opportunities and stay mired in a cycle of generational poverty.

"I used to sell tomatoes in the morning, at the Mutondo street market, to help my family, and in the afternoon I went to school," said Cecília Augusto, 25. The shy girl was forced to speak louder than usual because all we could hear in the room was the sound of sewing machines and people talking happily. That is because Cecília is doing a professional internship in sewing, after finishing training at the National Institute of Employment and Professional Training (INEFOP) in the province of Huíla, southern Angola.

Isolation, war, famine, arid climate, poor access to basic social services, and lack of access to drinking water and electricity are common issues in Androy region. In the face of difficult external and environmental conditions, it has been challenging to recruit high-performing, skilled, and dedicated individuals to build a local team for the Androy region.

Before UNDP, I worked at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium – working closely with the Agriculture and Environment Unit and engaging with the EU’s Task Force for Rural Africa. This provided me with development experience in an agricultural context. As a recent graduate and practitioner in the field of Agricultural Economics, it has been a challenging yet compelling transition to dive into the approaches to prevent violent extremism (PVE). --Tomas Kral, UN Youth Volunteer, UNDP

How does the recruitment of UN Volunteers add value to UNDP? As an efficient, speedy and diverse talent solution for UN partners, UN Volunteers serve with UN entities to bring people to the forefront of development, peace and humanitarian issues. UNV manages a pool of over 350,000 talented and qualified UN Volunteers who can be deployed to bolster the delivery of UNDP’s programmes and support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.