2001 was proclaimed as the International Year of Volunteers or ’IYV’ to enhance the recognition, facilitation, networking and promotion of volunteer service (United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/Res/52/17 of 1997). Thanks to volunteers and their supporters, 123 national committees were set-up by the end of 2001, and measures were taken to enhance volunteerism around the world.Follow-up reports led the General Assembly to call for the marking of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10) in 2011 (A/Res/63/153). The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has been designated as the focal point for IYV+10.
The anniversary provides us with the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the will, positive energy and innovation of millions of people for human development and human rights through a multitude of volunteering initiatives from locally initiated activities to structured full-time engagements. IYV+10 will highlight the great diversity of volunteers of all ages, origins, cultures, socio- economic backgrounds and experiences.
Why celebrate volunteerism?
IYV+10 will celebrate volunteering as an expression of our common humanity and as a means to:
- Build respect, understanding, trust, solidarity and reciprocity
- Benefit both society at large and the individual volunteer
- Contribute to human development and human rights
- Engage the will, positive energy and innovation of millions of people towards realizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
- Create an enabling environment for citizen engagement through the development of volunteering policies, supportive legislation and other infrastructure
The global agenda of IYV+10 will be driven by celebrations and activities by international stakeholders, including volunteer involving organizations, Governments, UN agencies, and private foundations. A Global Plan of Action was developed as a result of a consultative stakeholders meeting convened by UNV in October 2009 bringing together more than 40 international organizations. UNV will support different global events including:
- A Global Summit on Volunteerism and the MDGs mid 201
- Two UN General Assembly Sessions dedicated to IYV+10 in December 2011
- The launch of the first State of the World’s Volunteerism Report in 2011
- A Photo and multimedia exhibition in December 2011 showcasing “Volunteers of the World”
National Campaigns
The success of IYV+10 will largely depend on the initiative and involvement of national-level actors. National multi-stakeholder committees will bring together different national actors from civil society, government and the private sector in order to develop a national agenda for volunteerism for peace and development.
