Background on IYV 2001

An International Year of Volunteers
The idea for an International Year of Volunteers (IYV) to be proclaimed as the world enters the 21st Century, to facilitate the vital contributions of volunteers and to recognise their achievements, arose in deliberations of several major international non-governmental organisations in the early nineties.

The concept first emerged within the United Nations system at a Policy Forum in Japan in 1996 of the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) and United Nations University (UNU). It was agreed that the February 1997 proposal of the Government of Japan, transmitted through the Secretary General, be placed on the agenda of ECOSOC in July 1997. ECOSOC, in its resolution 1977/44 of 22 July 1997, recommended to the UN General Assembly that it adopt the resolution proclaiming 2001 the International Year of Volunteers. The UN General Assembly in its 52nd session on 20 November 1997 in Resolution 52/17, co-sponsored by 123 countries, decided to take the action called for in the ECOSOC resolution.

The premise underlying IYV 2001 is that voluntary service is called for more than ever before to tackle areas of priority concern in the social, economic, cultural, humanitarian and peace-building fields and that more people are needed to offer their service as volunteers. For this to happen, there is a need for greater recognition and facilitation of volunteer work and greater promotion of such service, drawing upon the best initiatives and efforts - the "best practice" - of volunteers networked to the greatest effect. There is a strong feeling also that the designation of an International Year of Volunteers by the UN General Assembly provides a valuable framework and establishes a favourable environment for the growth and yet more strategic use of volunteer contributions.

Objectives of IYV 2001:
A first objective is increased recognition. Governments and local authorities could ensure that they have mechanisms for drawing the voluntary sector into the consultation process. Recognition will be ensured by a country study which will describe and quantify the contribution of the voluntary sector to national welfare and advance; by awards instituted for the best examples of individual, small group, local community and national NGO - and perhaps also international - volunteer action.

A second objective is increased facilitation. Each society is best placed to define what would encourage or inhibit volunteer action among its people, so that the following are no more than examples of measures, which might commend them in different circumstances. The State might put its training facilities at the disposal of volunteer efforts on a concessional basis, to encourage technical competence, sound management and accountability in the voluntary sector. It could ensure that volunteers from duly recognised bodies are afforded legal status, insurance cover and social welfare protection on a par with other workers. Public servants and private sector employees might be accorded special leave of absence to undertake volunteer service. Tax deductibility might be extended to taxpayers supporting voluntary initiative. Volunteer service might be accepted under appropriate conditions as an alternative to military service. A proportion of resources - such as cement, roofing, textbooks, medical supplies and funding - might be set aside for use specifically by volunteer bodies.

A third objective is networking. Television, radio, the printed press and electronic media could assist in relating and exchanging the achievements of volunteers, thereby enabling "best practice" and best procedures to be replicated, and avoiding the need for each local community to reinvent the wheel. This exchange can be local of course, but is also feasible at provincial level and with immediately neighbouring countries, and internationally, too, with the assistance of electronic media.

A fourth objective is promotion. The effort might be aimed at attracting more requests for the deployment of volunteers, at attracting offers of service from new candidates with a view to enhancing operational activities, and generally creating a climate of public and official opinion even more supportive of voluntary action. This can also be linked back to some of the activities suggested under recognition, notably awards schemes, and under networking, notably in terms of media features. The competence and professionalism of volunteers might be stressed. The benefits accruing to society from their activities (such as blood donation, literacy campaigns and environmental clean-ups) can also be underlined.

UNV's role:
In line with its own mandate and successive General Assembly resolutions and decisions of UNDP's governing body regarding its roles in promoting volunteer concepts and service, UNV will continue to encourage the sharing of ideas on IYV 2001 and assist those Member States seeking further information about it. UNV will also continue to work closely with the UN system as a whole to evolve practical modalities of collaboration and to delineate specific areas of volunteer contributions which individual Agencies might wish to pursue in line with their own mandates and programmes in areas of major international concern.