The United Nations (UN) International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development commonly known as International Volunteer Day (IVD) is annually observed across the globe on 5 December to raise awareness about volunteer service, encouraging individuals, who dedicate their time and skills to contribute their services as volunteers locally and internationally.
- IVD encourages governments to support volunteer efforts and recognise their contributions to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local, national, and international levels.
IVD is also marked and supported by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.
- The 2023 theme of IVD centres on “The power of everyone – collective action – if everyone did”.
Note: The theme focuses on the transformative potential of collective action, envisioning a world where everyone volunteers.
Background:
i.The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) through the Resolution A/RES/40/212 on December 1985.
- Since then, governments, the UN system, and civil society organizations have successfully joined volunteers around the world to celebrate the Day on 5 December.
ii.The UNGA passed a resolution A/RES/52/17 in November 1997 and proclaimed 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers (IYV).
- IYV was conceived to further the recognition of volunteers, facilitating their work creating a network of communication, and promoting the benefits of voluntary service.
Volunteerism:
It stands as a vast, renewable resource for addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges worldwide.
UN Volunteers (UNV) programme:
i.Administered by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UNV programme provides global citizens with an opportunity to volunteer across the 3 pillars of the UN system: development; peace and security; and human rights.
Note: So far in 2023, over 12,000 UN Volunteers have served with over 50 UN entities as part of the UNV programme. Ranging from 18 to 77 years of age, this is the largest number ever.
State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR):
i.SWVR is a UN flagship publication to inform and advocate the role and contribution of volunteerism for peace and development with varying themes per edition.
ii.Published every 3 years since 2011, the latest (4th edition) State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) 2022: “Building Equal and Inclusive Societies”, presents new evidence on the relationship between volunteers and the state.
iii.Upcoming Report: UNV’s 5th report will focus on the measurement of volunteering and will include the development of a Volunteer Index. It is currently scheduled to be published in 2025.
IVD Events 2023:
i.IVD activities spanned across the globe, with 7 high-level events hosted by Governments in Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Iraq, Ireland, Tanzania, Thailand, and Togo.
- Togo- a national caravan of volunteering;
- Azerbaijan- climate-conscious activities of tree planting;
- Thailand- wheelchair journey of volunteers with disabilities;
ii.UN Volunteer Staff in Bonn(Germany) actively engaged in local volunteering activities to mark IVD.
About United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme:
Executive Coordinator– Mr Toily Kurbanov (Russian Federation)
Headquarters– Bonn, Germany
It is the volunteer arm of the UN that was created by the UNGA in 1970.
