The 2025 report aims to address the challenges faced in measuring volunteer work and bring clarity to the discourse on the scale and scope of volunteers' contributions.  Over the last three months, UNV conducted three online exchange discussions on several topics through the Knowledge Portal.  The discussions and consultations were strategically designed to gather expert opinions and insights to shape the State of the World's Volunteerism Report 2025.

It is a crisp Monday morning in September 2023. The bus from East Brunswick, New Jersey, starts its journey towards the Port Authority terminal in New York. I am about to begin my first day as the new Chief of the Operational Support and Quality Assurance Branch at the Policy and Strategy Division of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Just as the bus transports me from point A to B, I am whisked away by a train of thought.

The high-level gathering convened more than 450 onsite participants and more than 3000 online viewers. They included representatives from the Government, UN partners, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Volunteer Involved Organizations, academia, influencers, and volunteers who came together to recognize the spirit of volunteerism in shaping a better world.

The theme of this year's IVD centers on the power of everyone - collective action - if everyone did. If everyone volunteered the world would be a better place.  Imagine more than eight billion of us volunteering. Limitless possibilities for sustainable development - food and education for everyone, clean environment and good health, inclusive and peaceful societies, and more.

Your Excellency, Minister of Youth and Sports, dear friends and colleagues, The person speaking on the video like a robot was me.  The message was to the global audience. Today I would like some personal remarks for you, UN Volunteers in Somalia. I came here to present personal greetings not only from myself, as the Executive Coordinator, but also from 13,000 UN Volunteers around the world. We know of you, we hear about you and we appreciate all what you do.

A group of 40 UN Volunteers belonging to local communities was deployed by WFP in Iraq’s Duhok Governorate, which is located in the Kurdistan Region. In line with the Public Distribution System reform agenda, this group served alongside field enumerators to register Duhok residents. Serving tirelessly for three months, volunteers supported the registration of the newly issued PDS cards and also updated the residents' demographic information in the system - between 50 to 100 family registrations were carried out daily. Volunteers did so by using digital tablets.

With a Doctorate in Business Administration, Sam joined UNV in 2013, bringing with him extensive experience and expertise in project management, marketing, and agro-enterprise development. Reflecting on his journey, he says, "Volunteering has been my passion since my youth."

The project, Empowerment of Urban Women from Low-Income Families through Home Gardening to Ensure Food Security and Nutrition, was implemented in Sri Lanka from October 2022 to February 2023. It covered 12 communities with women and youth as key beneficiaries, and centered on emergency response to the socio-economic crisis in the the country. In recent years, the interest in home gardens has increased. This strategy to household food security especially helps the urban low-income communities.

Forum and UNV share a common purpose, and both organizations recognise the importance of responsible, impactful volunteering in delivering the SDGs. This MoU sets out a new phase in our collaboration with UNV in which we will launch new research and new conversations on volunteering, and promote the voices of volunteers. We look forward to working closely with our colleagues in UNV in this exciting new phase," says Heather Shapter, Chair of the Forum Board.

Community radio plays an important role in communities across the world. Improving this vital means of communication – is what this story from Zimbabwe is all about. Sometimes it's tough to get started. It takes bravery to sit or stand in front of a microphone and broadcast. But that's exactly what a group of volunteers from the Auxeni community radio in Zimbabwe do, with the help of training from national broadcasters.