United Nations
Development Programme

Mission

The United Nations Volunteers is an organisation that supports sustainable human development globally, through the promotion of volunteerism and the mobilisation of volunteers. It serves the causes of peace and development through enhancing opportunities for participation by all peoples. It is universal, open-for-all and embraces volunteer action in all its diversity. It values free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity, which are the foundations of volunteerism.

The UNV Programme

The UNV Programme was created by the UN General Assembly in 1970 and is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) via its national offices. UNV operates in 140 countries and its strength lies in the 4780 professionals who annually bring sustainable human development all over the world. The technical co-operation involves many sectors, namely, agriculture, health, education, social work, vocational training, industry, transport, humanitarian relief and rehabilitation, and the support of electoral practices. Volunteers come from 157 countries, with two-thirds originating from the developing world. With an average age of 39, they boast strong academic and work credentials. The main form of UNV Programme involvement is carrying out development at the grassroots and in government, but also with the private sector, and non-governmental organisations.

Volunteers are mainly involved in:

• supporting local projects,
• humanitarian aid,
• supporting peace initiatives,
• monitoring human rights.

In addition there exists the UNISTAR volunteer programme, which offers counselling for private and public companies. The TOKTEN scheme is aimed at expatriated professionals and allows them to return to their homeland for a short period of time to assist its development.

Partners

The UNV Programme works in partnership with governments, UN agencies, development banks and non-governmental and community-based organisations. The programmes within which the UNV specialists serve are usually government-managed. They often receive technical input and supervision from one of the specialised UN agencies, such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), or the World Bank.

Funding

Part of the UNV annual budget (approximating 175 million USD) comes from country and regional funds provided by its parent body, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Other significant financing sources include regular contributions by UN agencies, contributions by host governments, special purpose grants by donor governments, the UNV Special Voluntary Fund, and other funding, in all exceeding 17 million USD annually. Funding for field workers and national UNVs is carried out by local centres. At the end of 1999, Poland's contributions to the UNV programme stood at $130,000 at a total $14,371,300 from world-wide contributions.