ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

On 25 April, the UNRCCA Preventive Diplomacy Academy invited UN Volunteers (UNV) to introduce the United Nations Volunteers programme as the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide and explained the benefits of volunteerism to the 2024 PDA cohort. The two-hour hybrid session addressed numerous questions regarding the practical aspects of volunteering with the UN.

Ms. Mariya Ippolitova, Programme Assistant from the UNV Field Unit in Kazakhstan, accepted our invitation and provided an overview of UNV's history, sharing compelling facts and figures from 2023. She also outlined the various volunteer categories, including online volunteering, and their respective benefits.

Michaela Zeleňanská, UNV Associate Political Affairs/Public Information Officer at UNRCCA, provided an in-depth explanation of the application process, including how to find suitable assignments and prepare for deployment.

The United Nations Volunteers is the UN organization that promotes development, peace, security, and human rights worldwide through volunteerism. In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the Resolution 70/129 on "Integrating volunteering into peace and development: the plan of action for the next decade and beyond", co-facilitated by Brazil and Japan and co-sponsored by 100 Member States.

In 2022, there were 12,408 UN Volunteers, with one-third contributing to SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. UNVs are actively deployed in crisis situations to support the response efforts of UN partners.