To learn more about UNV’s work with young people and to read the UNV Youth Volunteering Strategy 2014-2017 please visit http://www.unv.org/youth

UNV Youth Volunteer Giulia Giannuzzi, Programme Officer at UN Women Viet Nam (sponsored by Italy), took part in the “Orange the Journey Campaign to End Violence against Women and Girls” in 2013. (UN Women / Thao Hoang, 2013)

www.unv.org

UN Youth Volunteer Modality

Introduction

Volunteerism has an important role to play in harnessing the potential of young people, while fostering their inclusion in global peace and sustainable human development processes. For young people, engaging in voluntary work can be an opportunity to change the world for the better while learning new skills, gaining knowledge, learning about new cultures and better understanding the realities of international development and peacebuilding.

UNV has been providing the UN system with innovative, cost-effective and professionally managed talent solutions since 1971. Under its new UN Youth Volunteer modality UNV has created new opportunities for 18-29 year-olds to be integrated into the work of UN partners around the world as national or international volunteers.

UN Youth Volunteers bring creativity, passion, and energy to the projects and programmes of UN agencies, working in such fields as basic services, primary healthcare, disaster risk reduction, peacebuilding, and youth empowerment, among others. Volunteer assignments are challenging and rewarding, and a specific programme for training and mentoring of UN Youth Volunteers provides opportunities to develop personal and professional skills.

Who can sponsor UN Youth Volunteers?

UN Partners

For over forty years, UN Volunteers have been working alongside UN staff to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable populations in the world, improving access to basic services, confronting global environmental challenges, and improving health care and education for millions. Now, the UN Youth Volunteers Programme is increasing the options for the UN system to respond to the needs of 18-29 year-olds by empowering them as UN Youth Volunteers, and tapping into their creativity, energy, and idealism in order to achieve innovative, sustainable development results.

Governments

It is vital that government policies and programmes exist to support youth development, employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The UN Youth Volunteer modality provides an excellent complement to labour market policies and education

‘‘ Youth are a transformative force... The time has come to integrate youth voices more meaningfully into decision-making processes at all levels.‘‘UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on International Youth Day 2012

About UNVThe United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to inte-grate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.

Through UNV, every year, about 7,500 qualified and ex-perienced women and men of around 160 nationalities serve as UN Volunteers in some 130 countries. They are professionals who play key roles contributing to peace and making an impact on development results.

UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

For more information

For more information please contact:

Robert Toé, Youth Programme Manager +49-228-815-2513 robert.toe@unv.org

Sasha Ramirez-Hughes, Communications & Partnerships Specialist

+49-228-815-2309 sasha.ramirez@unv.org

Kevin Kiffer, UN Youth Volunteer with

UNDP in Brazzaville (sponsored by France) ,

the Republic of the Congo, surveys beneficiaries to

identify their aspirations and to encourage the involvement of

communities in local development. (Séraphin Ngoma/UNDP, 2013)

UN Youth Volunteer Julie Teng, hosted by UNDP, visiting with women and children as part of a project to combat silting in oasian basins in Diffa, Niger. (Julie Teng/UNDP, 2013)

UN Youth Volunteer Eoin Ryan (far left) on a field trip to Ratanakiri province, Cambodia, with colleagues and community members as part of a national programme aiming to improve the rights of persons with disabilities. (Archive of Velibor Popovic, 2013)

Participants in the Regional Youth Volunteering Forum in Marrakesh, Morocco, discuss volunteering as a viable means of addressing the challenges they face. (Social Impulse, 2014)

“Young people are not asking for support - they

are asking for investment. Such investments enable them to

navigate their life transitions safely, develop their human capital to its fullest potential and participate in

efforts to deliver a world of equality, opportunity, and human rights for

all.”Ahmad Alhendawi, Secretary-General’s

Envoy on Youth

and training programmes. Opportunities exist for governments to sponsor UN Youth Volunteer assignments for their own citizens and citizens of other countries.

Academic institutions

Field experience can provide an excellent complement to classroom-based learning, especially for young people preparing for a career in international peace and development. The UN Youth Volunteer modality is an ideal way to provide this. University Volunteers work alongside their UN counterparts, tackling the world’s development challenges while learning ‘hands-on’ under the supervision of UN experts. University Volunteers, funded by their academic institutions, undertake shorter duration assignments (usually between three and six months) and are hosted by a project or programme of a UN partner.

Who are UN Youth Volunteers? UN Youth Volunteers are a diverse group. They come from all over the world and have a wide range of experience. What they have in common is that they have demonstrated a commitment to global peace and development, they are motivated, enthusiastic, and adaptable to new cultures and situations, and they are willing to step outside their comfort zone and contribute to proactive problem solving. While specific requirements in terms of skills and experience vary from assignment to assignment, all UN Youth Volunteers are required to be between 18 and 29 years of age during their assignments. Stringent selection criteria apply for both national and international UN Youth Volunteers, and candidates are required to participate in a competitive recruitment process.

Contribute to peace building through enhancing conflict resolution skills among children and youth, and promoting community dialogues.

Improve access to and delivery of basic services, especially primary health care, HIV/AIDS and basic education.

How can UN Youth Volunteers make a development impact?

Advance the role of youth engagement in local and national economic, social and environmental progress through activities such as supporting youth entrepreneur initiatives.

Enhance community resilience and capacities for disaster risk reduction and for the environment through, for instance, supporting community adaptation to climate change.

Assist in the establishment of new national and subnational volunteer schemes and enhance the capacity of local partners to mobilize and manage volunteers more effectively.

Type of assignment Duration

International UN Youth Volunteers 6-24 months

International UN Youth University Volunteers

3-6 months

International Short-term UN Youth Volunteers

Less than 6 months

National UN Youth Volunteers 6-24 months

National Short-term UN Youth Volunteers Less than 6 months

UN Online Volunteers Varies

What support does UNV provide?

• UNV will help partners identify appropriate UN Youth Volunteer assignments.

• UNV will manage the selection process, choosing candidates of the highest calibre that meet your requirements.

• UNV will conduct the initial briefing of volunteers.• UNV will provide volunteers with training before and

during their assignments.• UNV will provide guidance to mentors for UN Youth

Volunteers during their assignments.• UNV provides UN Youth Volunteers with post-

assignment career advice.

What types of assignments are there?

Financing UN Youth Volunteers

UN partners - UN Youth Volunteer hosting costs are normally covered by the UN programme, agency, or organization, except under full-funding arrangements, as below. UN Youth Volunteer assignment costs vary according to country, security costs, and other factors. For latest costs please contact your local UNV representative. There is no cost to engage youth through the UN Online Volunteering platform.

Full-funding - Full-funding finances individual UN Youth Volunteer posts in specific thematic/programme areas and priority countries selected by a donor government or institution. Funded volunteers can be national or international UN Volunteers who are nationals of the donor country or a country of the donor’s choosing. Other programme financing mechanisms

Special Voluntary Fund (SVF) - SVF supports pilot and innovative projects covering grass-roots development initiatives, support to communities, women and youth groups, thematic areas such as HIV/AIDS and emergency preparedness. SVF is a general contribution fund made up of voluntary contributions from governmental, intergovernmental or non-governmental sources. The level of contribution is determined by the donor and resources are pooled, untied and treated as core resources.

The UNV Youth Volunteering Trust Fund - The UNV Youth Volunteering Trust Fund receives donor contributions in broad support of youth volunteerism or to support specific country and/or global-level strategic priorities. The UNV Youth Volunteering Trust fund is open to all donors.

Cost sharing - Cost sharing covers contributions to a project or programme and can take the form of partial co-financing through a third-party cost-sharing agreement, the financing of an entire project through a third-party cost-sharing agreement, or contribution to a trust fund.