UNV Ethiopia - Dec 2019 Newsletter

UNV Ethiopia newsletter : December 2019

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UNV Ethiopia - Dec 2019 Newsletter

December 16, 2019

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. We work with partners to integrate qualified, highly motivated and well supported UN Volunteers into development programming and promote the value and global recognition of volunteerism. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and reports to the UNDP/UNFPA/
UNOPS Executive Board.

After an Executive Board decision in 2006, the UNV programme became operational in three domains:
1. Mobilizing volunteers to enable more people to be directly involved in humanitarian, peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery, as well as sustainable development and poverty eradication work of the UN.
2. Advocating for volunteerism and civic engagement in peace and development.
3. Pursuing the integration of volunteerism across policy, legislation and programming as well as delivering on internationally agreed development goals.

The UNV programme now works under a dual mandate – to mobilize volunteers for the United Nations System and to advocate for the importance of volunteerism in development worldwide. The United Nations General Assembly created UNV in 1970, with an initial mandate to provide qualified and motivated volunteers for the United Nations System in support of peace and development in operational
countries.

Over nearly five decades, the scope of UNV’s mandate has expanded, driven by a constantly changing global environment and wider recognition of the value of volunteerism. A series of UN decisions now direct UNV activities and results to also focus on youth engagement and on demonstrating how integrating volunteering in peace and development projects and programmes can widen and deepen impact. Changes in the development paradigm over the years also created a shift from international technical cooperation towards greater support for national and homegrown solutions, achieved by strengthening national and local capacities. Likewise, the growing vulnerability of communities due to exposure to recurrent natural disasters and conflict has demanded a much more robust humanitarian intervention globally.

These trends are reflected in UNV’s volunteer mobilization and programming for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and peacekeeping.

UNV and Development Assistance
Development assistance means enabling people to improve their lives in the long term. Development aid strives to address the underlying issues and socio-economic factors that impede human progress. All around the world, UN Volunteers help people lead more productive and fulfilling lives, such as through their work on projects in quality education and improved healthcare, or by ensuring equitable access to community resources and sustainable practices. UN Volunteers at times also work with governments and other local partners, helping to boost local capacity and augment knowledge.