International Volunteer Day
The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, more commonly referred to as International Volunteer Day, is an international observance mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985. It offers an opportunity for volunteer-involving organizations and individual volunteers to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteer efforts, and recognize volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals at local, national, and international levels. International Volunteer Day is marked and supported by the United Nations Volunteers. UNV coordinates a campaign to promote IVD every year.
Background
The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/40/212 on 17 December 1985.A look at United Nations Volunteers' International Volunteer Day Campaigns
IVD 2025 - "Every Contribution Matters"
IVD 2024 – For the, United Nations Volunteers demonstrates its commitment to communities and the wellbeing of UN Volunteers across the globe through concrete community volunteer activities carried out with national and UN system partners.
IVD 2023 – "" centers on the power of collective action.
IVD 2022 – "Together, act now"
The theme for this IVD is solidarity though volunteering — "Together, act now". The value of volunteers will be celebrated and recognized. While the world grapples with humanitarian and development challenges — amid wars and climate change, we need volunteers to work together for the common good.
IVD 2021 – "Volunteer now for our common future"
IVD 2021 is focused on decision-makers more than in the past. It is important to integrate volunteers and the spirit of volunteerism into national and global implementation strategies to achieve the SDGs and build an inclusive world. By volunteering, people take action to improve their lives and the lives of those around them. Therefore, the theme for this year's campaign is "Volunteer now for our common future".
IVD 2020 – "Together We Can Through Volunteering"
IVD 2020 emphasized gratitude for volunteers and their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
IVD 2019 – "For an Inclusive Future"
IVD 2019 focused on the diversity of volunteers and how volunteers themselves contribute to inclusion.
IVD 2018 – "Volunteers build Resilient Communities"
IVD 2018 celebrated volunteer efforts that strengthen local ownership and the resilience of the community in the face of natural disasters, economic stresses and political shocks. The event on 5 December 2018 focused on how volunteers can build resilient communities.
IVD 2017 - "Volunteers Act First. Here. Everywhere."
The focus of IVD 2017 was to recognize the positive solidarity of volunteers around the world who answer calls in times of crisis, helping save lives today and supporting those who want to continue living their lives with dignity tomorrow.
IVD 2016 - "Global Applause – give volunteers a hand"
Under this theme, IVD presented a round of global applause to celebrate volunteers everywhere and encouraged others to join in and contribute to peace and sustainable development.
IVD 2015 - "Your world is changing. Are you? Volunteer!"
The goal of IVD 2015 was to start a dialogue about how volunteerism is vital to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.
IVD 2014 - "Make change happen, volunteer!"
The goal of IVD 2014 was to highlight the contribution of volunteers in engaging people from the grassroots in decision-making processes, ultimately creating spaces for participation that lead to stronger governance, social cohesion, peace and sustainable development.
IVD 2013 - "Young. Global. Active."
The goal of the event was to pay special tribute to the contribution of youth volunteers to global peace and sustainable human development, highlighting that young people act as agents of change in their communities.
IVD 2012 - "Celebrate volunteering"
The event celebrated its commitment and hope for a better world. The main focus of IVD 2012 was awareness of and recognition for volunteers and volunteer organizations.
A focus on partnership and development
Through the years, International Volunteer Day has been used strategically: many countries have focused on volunteers' contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of time-bound targets to combat poverty, hunger, disease, health, environmental degradation and gender equality. Sustainable Development Goals|International Volunteer Day celebrates active volunteers and attracts new volunteers in the North and in the South, with a special focus on promoting South-South cooperation.
The organization of International Volunteer Day is generally the result of a partnership between the UN system, governments, volunteer-involving organizations and committed individuals. Representatives from the media or academia, foundations, the private sector, faith groups, and sports and recreational organizations are often involved too.
The General Assembly invited Governments to observe annually, on 5 December, the International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development and urged them to take measures to heighten awareness of the important contribution of volunteer service, thereby stimulating more people in all walks of life to offer their services as volunteers, both at home and abroad.
The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 52/17 of 20 November 1997, proclaimed 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers. The year was conceived to further the recognition of volunteers, facilitate their work, create a communication network and promote the benefits of voluntary service.
In 2001, the International Year of Volunteers, the General Assembly adopted a set of recommendations on ways in which Governments and the United Nations system could support volunteering and asked that they be given wide dissemination.
The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 57/106 of 22 November 2002, called upon the United Nations Volunteers programme to ensure that the potential of International Volunteer Day is fully realized.
On 18 December 2008, the General Assembly decided that on or around 5 December 2011, two plenary meetings of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly should be devoted to the follow-up to the International Year of Volunteers and the commemoration of its tenth anniversary.
Online Volunteering Award
Traditionally, on International Volunteer Day, UNV calls for nominations and launches the UNV Online Volunteering Award. A jury made up of UNV representatives and external experts in volunteerism and development cooperation review the nominations and selects the winners.The United Nations Volunteers programme invites citizens worldwide to be inspired by the winner's stories and participate in the global voting for their favorite winner. The team that gets the most votes is announced as the public's favorite on the International Day of Happiness.
The purpose of the award is to recognize online volunteers' contributions towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, to showcase the many ways in which online volunteers can strengthen the capacities of organizations, and demonstrate the difference volunteers can make to peace and development projects by sharing their time, skills and expertise over the Internet.
| Year of the Award | Winners | Public Favorite |
| 2002 |
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| 2003 | ||
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| 2005 | ||
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| 2007 | African Conservation Foundation Team - Lauriane Cayet and Magali MoreauBureau for Reconstruction and Development Team - Yin Mei WongCommunity Empowerment Collective Team - Luiz Claudio Correia dos AnjosConscious Generation Team - Deborah HubscherLawyers Without Borders Team - Bonnie TaherMAPU Association Team - Carmina Velasco and Silke ReichrathRESPECT Team - Veronica Patience Fynn, Dr. Raphael Sadiwa and Kenneth DonahueShine a Light Team - Ludmila Cieszkowsky and Sara GomesUNDP International Poverty Centre Team - Mania Mirsli and Sabria Regragui MaziliYouth for Technology Foundation Team - Danielle Brunin | |
| 2009 | Africavenir Team - Aline De Leener, Amandine Hourt, Andrea Rudin Montes de Oca, Hippolyt Fogaing, Jean Bosco Utuba, KayerguĂ Koulibaly, Tony KoutehEngineers Without Borders Team - Anne Marine Boubennec, Birgit Kann, Daniel Sturby, Hippolyt Fogaing, Karine Duval, Lee Knaggsi, Meiry Matsuda, Ruth Keene, Stéphanie Di Sano, Tanya BrownGrace Foundation Nigeria Team - Ayesha ZaheerGrace Association Pakistan Team - Aisha Mian, Jennifer Wells, Kalloimora Bzepam, Katie Simons, Laura Gamboa-Cavazos, Laura Riveni, Loai Farajallah, Paula Ellinger da Fonseca, Sehrish Rashid, Yvonne NelsonKitega Community Centre Team - Anne Ames, Dinnah Santos, Lisa Biasillo, Robert Gerstein Tiffany Shaw-Diaz, Vy NguyenNew Life Team - Prajwal Baral Shine A Light Team - Aida Ramos, Charles Essie Okoko, Christian Farin, Irena Kotarska, Khalid Ahmad, Liora Engel-Smith, Molombe Sammah Mbua, Nicolas López, Rania Zabaneh, Sabine Juli, Sara Gomes, Sathish Kumar, Snezana Andric, Yomna YasseTeach A Man To Fish Team - Loai FarajallahWorking To Empower Team - Adriana PalaciosYoung People We Care Team - Chelsea Wyatt, Daniela Georgieva, Haddy Sarr, Kwame van Eijndhoven, Laurene Graziani, Stella Mihailova, Tizeta Getaneh, Wei Wang | Africavenir Team |
| 2010 | Association Against Women Export Team - Edwin CuencoEngineers Without Borders Team - Abdou Maiga, Hind Salama, Kokou Edoh AdabeGlobal Hand Team - Dante Jiang, Qiuming Liao, Xinxin Sun, Zijian ZhangKitega Community Centre Team - Anup Tiwari, Bibiana Restrepo, Edith Marie Garingalao, Halima Tahirkheli, Kylie Dirks, Paula Montoya, Pierre Talla, Radha Taralekar, Vy NguyenMaventy Health International Team - Dan Frankowski Nabuur Team - Maria ZandtPositive Nett-Works Team - Akanksha Gulia, Priyanka Ohri, Ritika Verma, Samarpita Mukherjee, Tarun ChawlaUNESCO World Heritage Marine Programme Team - Joanna BorgVolunteer Partnerships for West Africa Team - Rui OliveiraYoung People We Care Team - Nan Zhang and Sumit Singh | |
| 2011 | Comber Foundation Team - Alicia Dorr, Jessica Anne Wise, Sarah Shirley, Tara Green, Eleanor Wragg, Marta Jankovic, Kari Kitiuk, Mary McKeown Delta Women Team - Paola Brigneti Fundació Catalunya Voluntària Team - Álvaro Martín, Annalisa Foglia, Dina M. Mansour, Gayatri Navaratnam, Karolina Ginalska, Katerina Papadopoulou, Laura Sánchez, Paola Cavallari, Peter Weekley, Porzia Persio, Ülgen Türkmen, Yadín AcedoGoodness and Mercy Missions Team - Akanksha ShuklaKitega Community Centre Team - Anup Tiwari, Bibiana Restrepo, Caroline Joseph, Halima Tahirkheli, June Aluoch, Kara Kristine Manso, Mona Saleh, Punam Chowdhury, Radha Taralekar, Reena Rae, Vy Nguyen, Yann Say-Liang-FatLa ferme aux arbres de Dekese Team - Alex Théodore Kambou, Ali Siribié, Bernard K. AllouanLeaders of Tomorrow International Team - Maria JakimovskaUN OCHA Team - Ajibola Oseni,Akua_Acheampong, Avi_Sharma, Charlotte_Morgan, Chrysoula_Vafeiadaki, Estella Reed, Farshid Raminfar, Ibrahim Oyekanmi, Michael Kasolo Kigozi, Mohamed HegabUNV Namibia / National Planning Commission of Namibia Team - Edmund Paul KalekyezVolunteer Partnerships for West Africa Team - Yolanta Cwik | |
| 2012 | Association of African Entrepreneurs Team - Kirthi Jayakumar, Natacha Borri, Pavithra Rajan, Petroc Wilton, Rita Sheryl, Sowmyan JegatheesanAssociation for Global Humanists and Ethics Pakistan Team - Bushra Ferdous KhanASTRA Anti Trafficking Action Team - Dawn Brozek, Lucija ZigrovicDelta Women Team - Kirthi JayakumarFondation Joseph the Worker Team - Sandrine LegrosPCs4Kids Team - Brad RobersonPositive Nett-Works Team - Annabel Lim, Den Quinsay, Lola Zhang, Lucia HlopkovaUNDP Brazil Team - André Demetrio, Camila Pessoa, Carmen Lucia Midaglia, Eric Bragion, Fernanda Luísa Pereira, Gustavo Mattos Trindade, Isadora Barison, Marcella Rossi Motta, Marcelle Antunes Alves, Nina Carvalho, Rafael Martins Dias, Raphaella Pinheiro, Ruth Ferreira ValverdeUNHCR Regional Support Hub Team - Pat RedmondYouth for Technology Foundation Team - Dominique Torres, Lina Klemkaite, Mayra Juárez Denis | UNDP Brazil Team |
| 2013 | Ann Foundation Team - Abhishek N., Aruna Babu, Arundhathi Harikrishna, Bushra Ferdous Khan, Cheryl Stafford, Debjani Sengupta, Deepa Chandrashekar, Deepa Kumar, Pavithra S., Pavithra Rajan, Renganayaki Nambi, Rahul Muralidhara, Saleshni ChaudharyAsociación Aprendo Contigo Team - Leonardo Parrado VarónAssociation of African Entrepreneurs Team - Aksa Bilal, Chioma Okwudiafor, Daniel Benson, David Arnett, Diego Lopez, Eleana Velentza, Fanny Bessem, Fortunato Novelliere, Gabriela Campos, Hamsini Srinivasan, Happy Mukama, James Carstensen, Kirthi Jayakumar, Lontsi Fomekong, Md. Nahidul Islam, Nidhi Modani, Prasad Ramachandran, Sharique Hassan Manazir, Shudzeka Eric Tewiy, Slawosz Fliegner, Wendy Chan, William KinColombian Red Cross Team - Leonardo Parrado Varón, Susana MammolaDelta Women Team - Elaheh Zohrevandi, Emmanuel Owobu, Isaac Owusu, Kirthi Jayakumar, Suman George, Usha ShenoyFondation Joseph the Worker Team - Camille Seccaud, Elizabeth Fernandez-Begault, Saley Djibo, Virginie Martins de Nobrega, Renaud d'HerouvilleGlobal Civil Initiatives Team - Alexander Harris, Ashwinkumar Dakshinamurthi, Neha Jain, Sangeeta PandeyNoble Missions for Change Initiative Team - Agnieszka Joanna StolarczykThe People's Open Access Education Initiative Team - Mridula BhatUN DESA Team - Beth deBeer, Lea-Kristin Martin, Lilani Seram, Louis-Marie Ngamassi, Prasida Khanal, Shaopeng He | Association of African Entrepreneurs Team |
| 2015 | Association des Agriculteurs Professionels du Cameroun Team - Komivi Messan Akakpo, Alexandra Carraz-Ceselli, Alexandra Lepin, Andréanne Roux, Claudine Lecuret, Frédéric Millogo, Jonathan Sharp, Laura Guien, Réjean Tremblay, Silvia Muiña, Winnifrede de SchaetzenFundación de Comunidades Vulnerables de Colombia Team - Anahi Silva ToscaHunger Reduction International Team - Prerna BakshiSeeds Theatre Group Team - Angie Bojtler, Etan Nechin, Kathy Connolly, Robyn Santa Maria, Zara QaiserUN Women Team - Jaslin Kalsi, Gesu Antonio Baez, Laura Cook | Hunger Reduction International Team |
| 2017 | Lulu Ileho Poultry Group Team - Zuzana FilipovaSimuka Africa Youth Association Team - Bianca DayritThe International Paralympic Committee Team - Keon RichardsonThe Red Elephant Foundation Team - Alka Mann, Luqman Mani, Prathyusha MunjuluriUNICEF Global Innovation Centre Team - Anamaria Cabrera Rodriguez, Claudia Lisette Ramirez Monterrosa, Emmanuelle Grandaud, Loïc Druenne, Lorena Belenky, Nouriatou Ntieche, Paula Alejandra Ballesteros Campos | Simuka Africa Youth Association Team |