The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. The UNV works with partners to integrate qualified, highly motivated and well supported UN Volunteers into development programming and promote the value and global recognition of volunteerism. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and reports to the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board.
UNV headquarters are in Bonn, Germany. UNV has around 150-300 staff members at headquarters, and over 14,000 UN Volunteers deployed in the field in 2025.
More information: https://www.unv.org/
One of the legacy of U Thant is the establishment of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in 1970. Here is a copy of U Thant’s letter to President Nixon advocating for future UN Volunteers (credit: Toily Kurbanov).
