UN Volunteers

UN Volunteers programme

UNV is one of the instruments that the UN General Assembly has created to support developing country governments in achieving their national objectives, within standards and priorities set by the UN peace and development agenda.

UN Volunteers Mission Statement

Volunteering brings benefits to both society at large and the individual volunteer. It makes important contributions, economically as well as socially. It contributes to a more cohesive society by building trust and reciprocity among citizens.

The United Nations Volunteers is the UN organization that supports sustainable human development globally through the promotion of volunteerism, including the mobilization of volunteers. It serves the causes of peace and development through enhancing opportunities for participation by all peoples. It is universal, inclusive and embraces volunteer action in all its diversity. It values free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity, which are the foundations of volunteerism.

UN Volunteers Mandate

• UN Volunteers works with and through partners (UN agencies, Volunteer-involving organizations) to integrate volunteers in programme country efforts to achieve national objectives

• UN Volunteers also provides technical cooperation to developing countries in the field of volunteerism to fully exploit its potential as a resource for achieving the Millennium Development Goas

• UN Volunteers has latitude to play a lead role in promoting the role of youth in development

TRANSLATING V4D (Volunteering for Development)

UNV works within the prism of V4D - which means harnessing volunteerism in its various forms (mutual aid and self-help, philanthropy and service, advocacy and campaigning) - to support development initiatives in line with the UN peace and development agenda.

Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between UNDP/UNV and Seimar Social Fund, one of the first social funds in Kazakhstan to distribute free grants for implementation of projects aiming at developing and improving of social life.
  MoU draft proposal by Seimar & UNV 2008 (56 kB)   UNV Seimar Social Fund Memo Eng (50 kB)
 

What is Volunteering?

 Definition of volunteering

The volunteer work is the work that is carried out:

• without compulsion;
• uncompensated, or at a much lower level than could be received for the same work in a government or commercial organization, or with only reimbursement of expenses;
• for the benefit of others

Types of Volunteering

There are a number of different types of volunteering:

• Mutual aid or self-help
People volunteer to help others without a social group or community of which they are a part
• Philanthropy or service to others.
The primary beneficiary is an external third party, not a part of a group of which the volunteer is a member.
• Participation and self governance.
The role played by individuals in the governance process, ranging from representation on government consultation bodies to user-involvement in local development projects.
• Advocacy or campaigning on certain issues relating to the interests of certain groups of society.

What benefits do people gain from volunteering

ғVolunteering in Kazakhstan - Key finding of a National Survey” conducted by UNV Kazakhstan in 2002 recognized that not all volunteers are completely altruistic in their motivations for volunteering,

The survey highlights that the benefits of volunteering include:

• Personal satisfaction gained from helping others (82%)
• Opportunity to socialise with others, meet new people (38%)
• To realise personal potential (34%)
• Opportunity to receive training, gain professional knowledge and skills (22%)
• Opportunity to occupy free time (8%)
• Chance to work (5%)
• Potential to find good work, chance to further career (5%)

Areas of distinctive contributions in Kazakhstan?

The potential of volunteering work, often unnoticed, were realized in full force, it could bring an added value to the services that government provides and for collaborative programmes and projects.

• Volunteering helps to create a cohesive and stable society
This is especially important for Kazakhstan, a young nation experiencing substantial social, political and economic change, to which people are adapting with difficulty.
• Volunteering adds value to the services that governments provide
• Volunteers can also enhance the ability of government branches to communicate with people pr provide services at the grassroots level, due to the close relationship volunteers can develop with their communities.
• Volunteers contribute considerable economic value to the development.

Because volunteers do not receive wages or salary for their work, their labor is not reported in KazakhstanҒs national GNP statistics. According to UN Volunteers Survey from 2002, the number of full-equivalent volunteers was estimated based on the incidence of volunteers in the general population above the age of 18 as identified by the Omnibus Survey of 1200 respondents throughout Kazakhstan (69.1%, or 6,837,514 persons); and then multiplied by the total estimated number of volunteer hours worked in a year (70.9 hours x 12 months= 850.8 hours), divided by the total number of possible working hours available in a year based on a forty-hour working week and a 52-week year (2080 hours). This gave a total of 2,796,543,3 full-equivalent volunteers.

According to these estimates, the economic value of volunteering in Kazakhstan is between 3.8% and 18.8% of GNP. For comparison with other countries, it is suggested to use the minimum wage calculation (3.8% of GNP).

How to become an International UN Volunteer Specialist

Two thirds of UNV specialists serving around the world in developing or transitional countries are themselves from such countries. Kazakhstani citizens with the required specialised skills may also serve abroad as International UNV Specialists.

UN Volunteers carry out various roles. They work at the grassroots level with communities and community-based organisations, encouraging them to identify community needs and find effective solutions through community participation. They help to build collaborative relationships between communities and local government institutions. They also offer policy advice to decision-makers at local, regional and national levels, developing individual and institutional capacity to put policy into practice.

For detailed information and how to apply, please contact the UN Volunteers Country Office in Astana or we also recommend that you take a look at the international website: www.unvolunteers.org.

Applying to become an International UN Volunteer Specialist:

Please visit the UNV Head Quarters web site www.unv.org to look for the procedures on how to become an IUNV.
We also strongly recommend talking to us, so that we can help you in determining whether you are suitably qualified to become an International UN Volunteer Specialist.
Once all details are gathered, completed and corrected, before sending online we recommend to first check with the UN Volunteers office in Astana your application and other necessary documents. The staff there will explain and if necessary check your documents. Your application is then received by the Cyprus Offshore Processing Centre. The Centre appraises applications and maintains a roster of eligible candidates.
Once you have sent your application form to Cyprus, you should receive a response within four to eight weeks from the date the application is received there. If you are included on the candidate roster, your details will be posted for up to two years, unless you inform UN Volunteers office that you are no longer available. Inclusion on the roster does not guarantee a UN Volunteer assignment. If you are not offered a post within the two-year period and you still wish to be re-rostered, you should send an updated Personal History Statement and any new supporting documents.

You may prefer to do an online UN Volunteer application on the UN Volunteers international website. Instructions can be found at that link.

Who are UN Volunteers?

At the heart of UN Volunteers Programme is the conviction that voluntary action by many millions of people is a vastly under recognized and underutilized resource, one that if fully harnessed could strengthen efforts in tackling development challenges worldwide.

These contributions are an integral part of UN Volunteers focus on advocating globally for volunteerism for development, integrating volunteerism into development programming and mobilizing volunteers. To this end, UN Volunteers activities support:

• achieving the Millenium Development Goals and reducing human poverty;
• fostering democratic governance;
• promoting energy and environmental policies that drive sustainable development forward;
• strengthening resources to prevent and respond to crises;
• fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS

Typical Profile of currently serving UN Volunteers

Approximately 8500 UN Volunteers from 168 countries served last year in over 144 countries.

• The typical International UNV Specialist has

Would you like to host a UN Volunteer?

 Your organization can host a UN Volunteers using one of the following UN Volunteers Modalities

• General Programme

Refers to projects/ programmes that are implemented by UN Volunteers either alone or in partnership with UN agencies; government/ non-government institutions under which UNV volunteers are deployed.
UNV volunteers under the general programme typically work in governance, energy and environment, health, HIV-AIDS, disaster reduction, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping and support for electoral processes.

•Community Exchange Programme (is not widely practiced in Kazakhstan)

Refers to projects/ programmes that are implemented by UN Volunteers either alone or in partnership with UN agencies; government/ non-government institutions under which UNV volunteers are deployed.

UNV volunteers under the community exchange programme typically work at grassroots level and are involved in mobilizing and strengthening community action for development.

•Corporate/Private Sector Programme

Refers to projects/programmes that are implemented by UN Volunteers in partnership with Volunteer Sending Organizations, Governments and/or companies under which the volunteers are deployed. When the volunteers are staff of companies, they are considered as "volunteers associated with UNV".
UNV volunteers and Volunteers associated with UN Volunteers under the corporate/private sector programme typically provide short-term advisory service in production efficiency, market expansion, ICT for Development, energy and environment and enterprise development.
  Request for UN Volunteer under Corporate-Private sector programme (73 kB)

•UNITeS and University programme

Refers to projects/programmes that are implemented by UN Volunteers in partnership with Universities and/or Governments under which the volunteers are deployed.
When the volunteers are students of universities, they are cons   Request for UN Volunteer under Corporate-Private sector programme (73 kB) idered as "volunteers associated with UNV".
Volunteers associated with UN Volunteers under UNITeS and the university programme typically support activities aiming at bridging the digital divide, as well as other areas of Millenium Development Goals.

•Other Programme Initiatives

Refers to development programmes/ projects that are not directly associated with UN Volunteers, but to which UN Volunteers may facilitate volunteer contribution.
Most of the online volunteers working through UNVҒs Online Volunteer service support other programme initiatives.

• Online Volunteering

UNV has introduced the concept of online volunteering through www.onlinevolunteers.org. It provides volunteers with a means to contribute to development efforts right from their computers.

How to recruit UN Volunteers

• Discuss concept with UNV Programme Officer, provide background info on organization/ project
• Develop Terms of Refernce in collaboration with UNV Programme Officer
• Guarantee funding source

Most Commonly Practiced Funding Sources

• UN agency projects
• UN Volunteers Fully funded / Special Voluntary Fund
• Trust Funds
• Bilateral and multilateral donors

• locally based
• remotely based

• Government
• NON-Governmental organizations
• Cost-sharing possible

International Volunteer Day

 Links

 For more information on UN Volunteers in Kazakhstan, we encourage you to read our country newsletter (see Russian page for Russian version):

  Newletter November 08 (1705.8 kB)

  Newletter July 08 (243.5 kB)

  Newletter issue 1 April 08 ENG (2795.1 kB)

  UNV Newsletter n 1, April 2007 ENG (778.5 kB)

  UNV Newsletter n 2, August 2007 ENG (1221.9 kB)

To know more about UNV activities and projects in Kazakhstan please refer to:
  UNV projects_ENG (719 kB)

For more information on UN Volunteers internationally, we encourage you to visit our website: www.unvolunteers.org

If you are interested in volunteering in general, please, go to http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/

If you are interested in becoming or recruiting an online volunteer, please go to www.onlinevolunteering.org

If you are interested in volunteering to provide services in the field of Information and Communications Technologies, or want to obtain the services of such a volunteer, see the United Nations Information Technology Service: www.unites.org www.unites.org

If you are interested in Volunteering and Millenium Development Goals, please, refer to ;
  Below the waterline of Public Visibility (302.9 kB);
  Volunteering UN System_engl (789 kB);
  On volunteering and Social Development (267.4 kB);
  Volunteerism_and_Legislation_Eng_ (289.7 kB);
  Volunteerism_and_Capacity_Development (162.9 kB);
  MDG_Brochure_engl (682.9 kB).

Contacts:

UN Volunteers Programme
United Nations Common Premises
26 Bukei Khan Str.
Astana, Kazakhstan, 010000
Tel.:  (7172) 592 550  Fax: (7172) 592 540
E-mail: unv.po.kazakhstan@undp.org or
unv.coa.kazakhstan@undp.org

• At least a graduate qualification, often a Masters, sometimes a PhD
• Average professional work experience: 10 years
• Average age: 39 years
• Two thirds from developing / transition countries

• The typical National UN Volunteers Specialists has

• At least a graduate qualification, often a Masters
• At least 3-5 years of professional work experience
• Fluent in Russian and/or Kazakh, working knowledge of English

Categories of UN Volunteers:

The technical cooperation and community-based work involves many sectors: UN Volunteers recruitment roster covers 105 professional categories. UN Volunteers-specialists commonly work in the fields of agriculture, health, education and training, human rights promotion, transport, information and communication technology, community development and social mobilisation, vocational training, industry, and population, administration, Forestry & Fisheries, Mass Media & Art Engineering , Human Settlements & Heritage, Natural Sciences & Resources, Commerce & Industry, Preventive & Curative Development, Social Science & Related Areas. UN Volunteers also work in humanitarian relief and rehabilitation; and in support of the human rights, electoral and peace-building work of the UN.

UN Volunteers offer the significant advantage that they are based in the host community for an extended period, and are therefore able to gain an in-depth understanding of local issues and to provide sustained capacity building.

Where can UN Volunteers serve?

Depending on funding sources and complementary aims UN Volunteers serve usually

• in UN agencies, projects
• at central and local government bodies
• in Non-Governmental organizations or Community Based Organizations