International Volunteer Day is a moment to recognise the people who are putting others first. Over one billion volunteers work in service of their communities every day.

They were amongst the first responders to the COVID-19 crisis. They are playing a pivotal role in stopping the spread of COVID-19 as doctors, nurses, public health officers and community workers.

To date, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) has deployed more than 1,100 volunteers across the world to support the pandemic response. That includes volunteers who are bringing their medical skills to countries like Somalia or Sri Lanka; refugee medics who have joined the vaccination campaign in Jordan;  or a 72-year-old, retired doctor who has returned to action in South Sudan.

As some parts of the world start to slowly recover from the pandemic, volunteers are now helping communities to build forward better. They are working in Malawi to help end violence against women and girls. Or consider the Indigenous UN Volunteers who are fostering inclusion in Venezuela and Ecuador.

Volunteers are also undertaking critical work as climate change tightens its grip. In the Comoros, volunteers have led reforestation campaigns. Or look to Kenya where they are helping to restore coral reefs and mangroves.

As we mark the 50^th Anniversary of UN Volunteers in 2021, the number of volunteers is at an all-time high. In 2021, over 10,300 UN Volunteers have worked in 158 countries to advance the Global Goals.  And new efforts were made by UNV to recruit more people with disabilities.

As we mark International Volunteer Day, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to volunteers for their extraordinary contributions to key areas like peace, development, and humanitarian assistance.

Now, more than ever, Governments and other stakeholders need to find new ways to work with volunteers. They must engage them as key partners while opening-up the space for them to co-create much-needed development solutions.

Volunteers will continue to fashion not only the future of their own communities. In so many ways, they are now shaping the future of the entire planet.

Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Find out how you can become a UN Volunteer at unv.org