• A university degree (either BA/BSc)
• At least three years of professional experience
• At least age 25 (no maximum age limit)
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
• Ability to adjust to difficult living conditions
• National UNV volunteer assignments usually range from 6 to 24 months
• Strong commitment to values and principles of volunteerism
• Good working knowledge in at least one of the three working UN languages: English, French and Spanish.

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism. UNV is inspired by the conviction that volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and by the idea that everyone can contribute their time and energy towards peace and development. With partners, UNV advocates for volunteerism, integrates volunteerism into development planning and mobilizes volunteers. The enormous potential of volunteerism is an inspiration to UNV and to volunteers around the world.
 
UNV pursues global recognition of volunteers for peace and development, encourages the integration of volunteerism into development programmes, and promotes the mobilization of increasing numbers and greater diversity of volunteers contributing to peace and development.

UNV helps countries to foster and develop volunteerism as a force for sustainable development. We provide strategic advice on the role and contribution of volunteerism and options for civic engagement in development programmes. We help countries to improve public inclusion and participation in social, economic and political development, and we support the growth of volunteerism within communities as a form of mutual self-help.

We partner with governments and with UN, non-profit and private sector organizations in order to support development programmes. UNV delivers a prompt, efficient and value-adding service to identify and engage professionals who can deliver services and fulfill a wide range of specialised tasks.

UNV directly mobilizes more than 7,700 UN Volunteers every year nationally and internationally, with 80 per cent coming from developing countries, and more than 30 per cent volunteering within their own countries.

UN Volunteers help to organize and run local and national elections and support a large number of peacekeeping and humanitarian projects. UN Volunteers comprise one third of all international civilians working in UN peacekeeping operations.

UNV also operates the Online Volunteering service, which connects development organizations directly with thousands of online volunteers who can provide services and advice over the internet.

See:
Partners and cooperating agencies
UNV operations by country
Thematic areas
Volunteerism for peace and development

 

How to volunteer

The 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 integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.

Be a volunteer

UNV is inspired by the conviction that volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges worldwide.  Everyone can contribute their time, skills and knowledge through volunteer action, and their combined efforts can be a significant force for achieving peace and development.

Volunteering makes important economic and social contributions, contributing to a more cohesive society by building trust and reciprocity among citizens. It can be both challenging and rewarding and require you to use your skills in a new context. You can also transfer useful knowledge while gaining a greater understanding of the issues affecting other people.

Read more about volunteerism for peace and development.

At the request of UN agencies, national governments and other partners, UNV mobilizes close to 8,000 volunteers to work in Development Assistance projects and in Humanitarian and Peacekeeping Operations. Although UN Volunteers from diverse professional and technical backgrounds are always in demand, there are particular areas of expertise where potential volunteers with relevant backgrounds and skills are more frequently requested.

Read more about what it means to be a UN Volunteer.

Support UNV and UN Volunteers in the field
UNV Programme Officers (UNV POs) are volunteers assigned by UNV to the task of representing UNV at the country level in addition to managing the needs and expectations of other UN Volunteers assigned to that country. Read the stories of two current UNV POs.

Are you interested and/or available to volunteer your time and skills on a short-term assignment of three months or less?

For information on serving in countries other than your own as an international UN Volunteer, go to register to be a UN Volunteer.  For information on serving in your own country as a national UN Volunteer, please contact your local UNV or UNDP office.

Through the UNV Online Volunteering service, volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organizations over the Internet.

For information about how to become an online volunteer and about the UNV Online Volunteering service, visit the Online Volunteering service website.

 

International UNV Positions

Terms of Reference

• Implement and deploy conceptual design
• Develop and update websites
• Automate Spanish content website(s) to dynamic website(s)
• Create and maintain various databases
• Perform HTML/XML/ASP etc coding necessary and appropriately render information for distribution through web
• Provide web statistical analysis reports
• Create, write, convert, edit, and translate content from English to Spanish or from Spanish to English for web distribution
• Identifying information / data within the organization to be translated into Spanish
• Liaise with the Spanish community to determine appropriate content to be translated into Spanish
• Translate press releases, books, booklets, brochures, and other promotional material into Spanish
• Upload documents and other information as necessary in Spanish and other languages as required
• Must be a Spanish National