UNV

Overview/Mandate

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Created in 1971 by the UN General Assembly (resolution 2659 (XXV)) with the mandate to facilitate the integration of volunteers in development within the framework of Technical Cooperation for Development, UNV is now based in Bonn, Germany, and administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development.

Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UNV volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity.

UNV is present in Armenia since August 2008 upon UNDP request, at UNDP premises. UNV renders its services at the UN Country Team level, advising on volunteerism and UNV’s distinctive contributions to development.

Objective

The primary purpose of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is to engage people in tackling development challenges, by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. This is achieved through technical advice and capacity building such as:
•    Organizing and supporting events, roundtables and surveys on volunteerism and civic participation throughout volunteers’ involvement
•    Matching demand/supply of volunteers and volunteer-involving organizations through  international assignments and the national UNV volunteer scheme
•    Training and organizational advice on volunteer management and networking
•    Securing the functioning  of UNV Unit at UNDP premises as the national centre for volunteerism and volunteer activities
•    Facilitating national efforts of integrating civic participation into development planning and strengthening networking and information exchange between national actors
•    Linking community, local government and national policymaking levels

Partnerships

In 2007, The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme partnered with 25 UN organizations and with governments and civil society to deploy more than 7,500 UNV volunteers to work in 140 countries.

Besides directly administering and managing the UNV volunteers, UNV supports governments and volunteer-involving organizations to strengthen and/or develop sustainable local infrastructure to mobilize and manage their own volunteering programmes. In addition, it responds to requests from governments to help them set up national volunteer infrastructures, such as youth volunteer schemes or volunteer corps.

Through jointly funded projects with UN, government and other partners, UNV supports pilot activities that demonstrate the added value of volunteerism for development and peace initiatives.
 
Corporate & Private Sector

  
UN level

 
Cooperating agencies

Cooperation with the Government of Armenia

As a programme of UNDP, UNV mainstreams UNDP and other agencies’ work through integrating volunteerism for development into programming and other activities.

UNV also found a committed partner in the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of RA. The Ministry is keen to support the recognition of volunteers and enhance a favourable environment for volunteerism in the country. Fields of collaboration are being discussed, mainly youth and the National Volunteer Scheme.

Key events
•    Launching of UNDP TOTKEN with UNV support, 28 September 2008
•    International Volunteer Day, 5 December 2008
•    UNV advocacy in the regions, March and April 2009
•    Establishment of the National UNV Volunteer Steering Committee, 7 May 2009
•    Managing International United Nations Volunteers – Beginning in July 2009


Press releases

UN in Armenia Partners with the Diaspora in Boosting Development in the Country
An Award Ceremony was organized on the Occasion of the International Volunteer Day
First International Volunteer Day for UNV in Armenia

Become an international UNV volunteer:
http://www.unv.org/how-to-volunteer.html

Become a national UNV volunteer:
http://un.am/unv/apply.php

Useful links:
United Nations Volunteers – Home Page: http://www.unvolunteers.org
The UNV Online Volunteering service: http://www.onlinevolunteering.org
More information about volunteerism worldwide: http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/
 

Contacts:

Sara Sangoi
UNV Programme Officer
UNDP
UN House, 14, Petros Adamyan st.
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel: +37410 566073
Fax: +37410 543811
e-mail: sara.sangoi@undp.org