The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. We work 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. Read more about the added value of UNV, UN Volunteers and volunteerism.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND LEADERSHIP

UNV headquarters are in Bonn, Germany. UNV has around 150 staff members at headquarters, and over 10,921 UN Volunteers deployed in the field in 2021.

Mr Toily Kurbanov (Russian Federation) is the Executive Coordinator of UNV, and took up his appointment on 4 January 2021. 

Ms Kyoko Yokosuka (Japan) is the Deputy Executive Coordinator and took up her appointment in April 2021.

UNV's Office in New York (ONY) promotes volunteers and volunteerism through partnership development with Permanent Missions to the UN, UN partners headquartered in New York, civil society organizations and other NY-based partners. It monitors policy and strategy developments at the UN in New York and contributes to UN Volunteer mobilization by developing and promoting volunteer solutions within UN partner operations, projects and programmes, coordinating closely with UNV headquarters, regional offices and field units.

UNV has six Regional Offices in Amman (covering the Arab States), Bangkok (covering Asia and the Pacific), Dakar (covering West and Central Africa), Istanbul (covering Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States), Nairobi (covering East and Southern Africa) and Panama City (covering Latin America and the Caribbean). The regional offices are the first entry point for partners wishing to engage with UNV. They offer UNV services and solutions to government partners, UN entities, civil society and the private sector, and takes the lead in scoping and delivering UNV advisory services on volunteer infrastructure. They also provide oversight and strategic guidance to UNV's field units in the regions.

At the country level, UNV Field Units interact with UN entities to strategically and meaningfully integrate volunteerism into the implementation and delivery of their mandates. As part of this process, UNV works with UN entities to identify opportunities where volunteers add specific and unique value to development programmes and peacekeeping missions. The UN Partner Toolkit is the first point of entry for partners seeking information about mobilizing and managing UN Volunteers.

For further information about the work of the United Nations system, kindly visit www.un.org.

A SHORT HISTORY OF UNV

ACCOUNTABILITY

The UNV Advisory Panel on Disciplinary Measures (APDM) is mandated to advise the Executive Coordinator on disciplinary matters involving UN Volunteers. The main functions are to provide an objective review of independently investigated allegations of misconduct involving UN Volunteers, and recommend to the Executive Coordinator appropriate disciplinary measures or exoneration of UN Volunteers from allegations of misconduct. The APDM further renders in-house advice, at the request of the Executive Coordinator and senior managers, concerning practical or theoretical questions with potential disciplinary implications.