The implementation of Agenda 2030 in Latin America and the Caribbean requires an intercultural approach that favors integration and inclusion, especially relevant for the establishment of joint work and dialogue with communities identified values and traditions of the vast and varied range of indigenous peoples that inhabit the region

The fair and equitable distribution of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources is one of the three pillars of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and its application is the main objective of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS). More than 50 volunteers from indigenous populations and local universities collaborate to guarantee access to genetic resources and fair and equitable distribution of the benefits derived from their use in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Panama.

Through a programmatic and financial collaboration, UNV supports the implementation of the Global ABS UNDP-GEF project "Strengthening human resources, legal frameworks, and institutional capacities to implement the Nagoya Protocol".

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity entered into force in 2014. 

In the process of finding a right programming partner, I was able to get in touch with UNLIREC- the Regional Center for Peace, Disarmament and Development for Latin America and the Caribbean, part of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs.

Youth's unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is reaching a critical peak. Its rate of 63.1 per cent in 2013, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) annual outlook "Global Employment Trends 2014", means that two in three young people are jobless. Youth's joblessness is partly due to the education system which is not fully functional to meet market's needs.

Last October, 9,000 volunteers joined forces to plant over 230,000 trees in one day as part of one of the largest volunteer actions in Bosnia and Herzegovina – the "Let's do it - one million seedlings in 1 day" campaign organized for the second year in a row and supported by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. The action was implemented on 24 October 2013 across the country and involved a total of 72 municipalities in both entities.

On 18 May 2013, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in Bosnia Herzegovina, together with the local NGOs ‘Ruke’ and ‘Mozaik Prijateljstva’, joined the ‘Let’s Do It!’ action for the global environmental clean-up-campaign ‘Let’s Do It! World Clean-up’. The goal was to clean illegal disposal sites, and make Bosnia and Herzegovina a nicer, cleaner and healthier place. In the course of five hours, more than 40,000 people and several thousand school children volunteers from over 110 municipalities across Bosnia and Herzegovina took part in the cleaning of illegal dumps and green areas.

Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to experience high levels of youth unemployment, social exclusion and irregular youth migration. In response, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to implement the Youth Employability and Retention Programme (YERP).

To provide the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a coherent framework for working with civil society actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina to better facilitate volunteerism and civic engagement, the UNV Field Unit for Bosnia and Herzegovina conducted a review and assessment of the civil society reports and needs assessments for Bosnia and Herzegovina released since 2008. This review document is organized into 5 main sections: