WHAT WE DO

UNV contributes to peace and development by…

…advocating the recognition of volunteers,

…working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming,

…and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UN Volunteers, throughout the world.

UNV directly mobilizes more than 7500 UN Volunteers every year nationally and internationally. More than 75 percent of UN Volunteers come from developing countries, and more than 30 percent volunteer within their own countries.

Moreover, UNV globally provides strategic advice on the role and contribution of volunteerism and options for civic engagement in development programmes. UNV helps countries to improve public inclusion and participation in social, economic and political development and supports growth of volunteerism within communities as a form of mutual self-help. In doing so, UNV partners with governments, with UN agencies and non-profit and private sector organizations.

UN Volunteers help to organize and run local and national elections and support a large number of peacekeeping and humanitarian projects worldwide. UN Volunteers comprise one third of all international civilians working in UN peacekeeping operations.

UNV also operates the Online Volunteering service, which connects development organizations directly with thousands of online volunteers who can provide services and advice over the internet.

Since 2006, UNV's field unit in Cambodia has financially and technically supported various local youth Civil Society Organizations including the national NGO Youth Star Cambodia, which resulted in the deployment of over 60 local volunteers in support of grass roots MDG initiatives in some of the poorest provinces of the country. UNV has supported Youth Star in conducting a research on volunteerism and youth engagement in the country. The report VOLUNTEERISM – Harnessing the Potential to Develop Cambodia was published and disseminated in June 2008.  UNV Cambodia also supports and is part of the VolCam network, which includes international and local volunteer sending and volunteer involving organizations in Cambodia. We, furthermore, support initiatives of the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS) to include volunteerism into the National Youth Policy and to translate those policies into practice.   

In 2011, 39 UN Volunteers were assigned in Cambodia (32 international and seven national volunteers) while five Cambodian nationals served as UN Volunteers abroad. The UN Volunteers are placed with UNDP, WFP, UNOHCHR, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNWOMEN, UNRCO, UNAKRT, ILO and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and they are contributing to improving governance and human rights, gender, poverty reduction, labour rights, refugee protection, food security, social protection and social policy, climate change, development communication, advocacy, capacity building, ICT, aid effectiveness, media relations and volunteerism.

We try to keep up a good network amongst the volunteers and to support them in their assignment.