inspiration in action Volunteerism for Development Dagmar Schumacher Chief, Partnerships Unit UN Volunteers September 2008 Presentation to the Romanian Development Camp

inspiration in action Volunteerism for development Volunteerism  Can transform the pace and nature of development  Benefits society at large and individual volunteers  Is universal, inclusive, diverse

inspiration in action UN General Assembly “volunteerism is an important component of any strategy aimed at…poverty reduction, sustainable development, health, disaster prevention and management, social integration and…overcoming social exclusion and discrimination” “volunteering, in particular at the community level, will help to achieve the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration” A/RES/57/106 (November 2002)

inspiration in action Why Volunteerism for Development? Meeting the MDGs needs millions of people to get involved. Societies need to build their own solutions. Volunteerism is a key way to include citizens in development. Volunteerism is part of the fabric of most societies. UNV advocates the benefits of volunteerism for development, and helps integrate volunteerism into development planning.

inspiration in action Millennium Development Goals Volunteerism is necessary to succeed Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria & other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability Develop global partnerships for development

inspiration in action UN Volunteers Overview Established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly. Administered by the UN Development Programme. A development partner for the UN system. Works with UN organizations, governments, NGOs, individuals Our Goal contribute to peace and development through volunteerism

inspiration in action UNV’s Key Results 1.Global recognition of volunteers for peace and development 2.Ensure the integration of volunteerism into development programmes 3.Mobilization of increasing numbers and the diversity of volunteers contributing to peace and development

inspiration in action UN Volunteers Business model UNV contributes to peace and development by: 1.Advocating for volunteerism globally 2.Working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming 3.Mobilizing volunteers

inspiration in action The UNV business model Mobilization of UNV volunteers and communities Advocacy for global recognition of volunteerism for peace and development Integration Encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming

inspiration in action Advocacy for Volunteerism… Promotion of national capacity building by means of: Promoting volunteer related legislation Advising on measurement of economic contribution of voluntary action Supporting international and national multi-stakeholder consultations on role and contribution of V4D Assisting in the establishment of national volunteer schemes Assisting in setting up national and local volunteer centers Promoting knowledge sharing in V4D related areas …to achieve the MDGs

inspiration in action UNV volunteer assignments Demand remains strong 7,766 assignments in 2007

inspiration in action Partnerships are important to UNV  DESA  FAO  OCHA  OHCHR  UNAIDS  UNCCD  UNCDF  UNEP  UNFPA  Asian Productivity Organization  European Commission  Hiroshima University  Medicus Mundi  Norwegian Church Aid  Plan International  CISCO  CIVICUS  IAVE  IVCO UN organizations Cooperating organizations  UN-HABITAT  UNHCR  UNICEF  UNIFEM  UNITED NATIONS  UNDOC  UNOPS  WFP  WHO

inspiration in action Locally: Candidates are identified by Country Office Teams and/or host agencies in the country of assignment UNV Roster: Most candidates are identified this way, by team in Cyprus. Outsourcing: Candidates are identified by partner organizations recruiting and/or funding volunteers Special recruitment efforts: Candidates are identified through -  Adverts on UNV website  Adverts on other job websites  Specialized recruitment sources How we mobilize UNV volunteers

inspiration in action Who are UNV volunteers? Men 60% Women 40% 37 years average age 5-10 years average working experience 162 nationalities professional categories:  Project managers and administrators  Policy advisors  Engineers & technicians  Doctors and health professionals

inspiration in action Where UNV volunteers work In 2007: 7,521 UNV volunteers 77 % from developing countries 33 % volunteered within their own countries

inspiration in action Sources of assignments UNV is the UN’s focal point for volunteerism

inspiration in action Online Volunteering.org A service of UN Volunteers In 2007: 1,030 registered development organizations 2,700 online volunteers 3,700 assignments

inspiration in action Online Volunteers’ performance 84% ‘very good’ & ‘outstanding’ (as voted by Development Organizations, 2006)

inspiration in action Donor Contributions to UNV Special Voluntary Fund (SVF) - general purpose (voluntary contributions) Co-Financing (project-specific contributions) Full Funding - financing for individual volunteer assignments, including UNV interns

inspiration in action FF - Some donors fund nationalities other than their own…

inspiration in action 2008 UN Secretary General’s Report to the UN General Assembly on Follow-up to the International Year of Volunteers (2001) Why? Inform Governments of the implementation status of IYV outcome recommendations Inform all stakeholders of the contribution of volunteerism to achieving the MDGs Outline proposals for marking IYV+10 (2011) Who? UNV is designated UN focal point for IYV Follow-up Inputs received from: Governments, RCs/RRs, UN agencies, CSOs and other stakeholders When? UN General Assembly (63rd session) – Fall 2008 To the right – an Idea for a logo

inspiration in action Interns as UNV volunteers Engaging younger people in development University graduates Developed and developing countries 6% of UNV volunteers in 2006

inspiration in action THANK YOU Dagmar Schumacher Chief, Partnerships Unit UN Volunteers