2006 Annual Report

UNV Programme: A vital role in fighting poverty

Collective endeavors to advance human development and achieve the MDGs benefit significantly from the efforts of United Nations Volunteers (UNV), a fund administered by UNDP. From helping to rebuild communities shattered by war or natural disasters to assisting in the fight against HIV/AIDS and creating new job opportunities, UNV volunteers make a distinctive contribution to national capacity building.

In 2005, UNV played a vital role in helping to organize national elections. For example, in preparation for the February 2006 elections in Haiti, UNV volunteers were stationed in the country’s 10 departments to help register some 3.5 million voters. In a difficult environment marked by violence and rioting, they worked closely with Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Commission, setting up counting centres and putting together voting material.

Through its expanding range of activities, UNV also helps ensure that those who are too often seen exclusively as recipients of aid are empowered to contribute to the development of their own communities. In Ethiopia, for example, UNV volunteers are supporting communities in their own development planning and implementation as well as the improved monitoring of progress towards the MDGs. In partnership with UNDP and the central government, more than 100 Ethiopian UNV volunteers are working to strengthen the capacities of regional administrations to deliver services and develop infrastructure. They have also designed systems to improve access to information, including the creation of an e-government platform providing key social and economic data, and a web-based network linking 200 high schools in the country to foster interactive communication and learning.

In 2005, more than 8,100 women and men from 168 countries served as UNV volunteers in 144 countries. The majority of UNV volunteers were from developing countries, and nearly 40 percent took up an assignment in their home country—eloquent examples of successful South-South cooperation.

For information about the UNV, please visit www.unv.org.