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Decide to join the United Nations as a UN Volunteer

20 February 2024
A UN Volunteer works at a compute rin an office setting
Caption: A UN Volunteer at his desk and ready for action!
Photo: © UN Volunteers

Conflict, climate change and inequality are just some of the urgent causes we face today. It is time to decide that enough is enough and do something about it.

 

You can decide to change the lives of others while changing your own as a United Nations Volunteer (UNV). Volunteering for the UN is a full-time commitment to peace and sustainable development with a UN agency, fund or programme, in your country or abroad.

 

Caption: A UN Volunteer plays with children at a rural primary school in Barbados where she and her colleagues spent International Volunteer Day 2023 planting new trees and cleaning up the community garden.
Photo: © UNICEF/Troy Barker

 

RIGHTS AND BENEFITS

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme encourages broad and inclusive participation, and as such ensures a variety of benefits to secure a basic standard of living while serving as a UN Volunteer. Benefits include:  

  1. Monthly living allowance 
  2. Medical insurance (including dependents) 
  3. Annual leave (2.5 days per month served) 
  4. Learning opportunities 
  5. Reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities 
  6. Travel allowance for international UN Volunteers 

See more on the UNV Conditions of Service : https://bit.ly/UNV-COS

With the support of the Slow Food Movement, a UN Volunteers in Barbados help to prepare a meal to be delivered to families in need.
Caption: With the support of the Slow Food Movement, a UN Volunteer in Barbados help to prepare a meal to be delivered to families in need.
Photo: © UNICEF/Troy Barker

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

Build on your professional experience and knowledge - whether in development, emergency response, education, health, environment, communications, social work and much more. 

Caption: UN Volunteers in Barbados meet Pieter Bult, the UNICEF Representative to the Eastern Caribbean Area
Photo: © UNICEF/Troy Barker

ASSIGNMENT TITLES

Some of the most popular volunteer assignment titles are: 

  1. Field Officer (in a wide variety of areas)  
  2. Community Development Officer 
  3. Communications Officer 
  4. Protection/Human Rights Officer 
  5. Monitoring & Evaluation Officer 
A UN Volunteer helps two children down a slide children.
Photo: © UN Volunteers

MAIN PARTNERS

As a UN Volunteer you can serve with the following UN entities, among others: 

  1. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) 
  2. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 
  3. UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) 
  4. International Organization for Migration (IOM) 
  5. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 
  6. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 
  7. World Food Programme (WFP) 

In 2022, over 2,500 UN Volunteers served with over 30 UN partners in Latin America and the Caribbean! 

Caption: A group of UN Volunteers who serve in different UN offices, agencies, funds and programmes Barbados come together on International Volunteer Day 2024
Photo: © UNICEF/Troy Barker

LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND

The UNV programme is committed to representing the diversity of the world's societies. If you are a person with disabilities, a member of the LGTBQ+, afro-descendant or indigenous communities, or any other minority, you are encouraged to apply. 

Caption: A UN Volunteer supporting UNICEF in Trinidad and Tobago
Photo: © UN Volunteers

CATEGORIES

Assignments are offered into four volunteer categories, which determine eligibility: 

  1. Expert: candidates must be at least 35 years old and have more than 15 years of professional experience. 
  2. Specialist: candidates must be at least 27 years of age and have at least 3 years of professional experience. 
  3. Youth and University: candidates must be between 18 and 26 years of age, and no previous professional experience is required. 
  4. Community: No previous professional experience or academic requirements needed but must live in the community they serve. 

Before applying, we recommend carefully reading the specific requirements of your selected assignment.  

Photo: © UN Volunteers

DECIDE TO APPLY

Register in UNV’s Unified Volunteer Platform: app.unv.org, complete your professional profile and apply to vacancies NOW. 

When filtering vacancies, verify the volunteer category (Expert, Youth, etc.) you fit in and define whether to volunteer in your country or abroad.  

UN Volunteer opportunities reflect the evolving needs of UN agencies, funds and programmes. We encourage you to visit the UNV platform regularly, so as not to miss any opportunity.


VOLUNTEER ONLINE

With the Online Volunteering service, you can undertake volunteer tasks for up to 20 hours a week and for a maximum of 12 weeks with different United Nations entities, governments, public institutions and civil society organisations.  

As the Online Volunteering service is a free time commitment, selected individuals are not under contract with the UN Volunteers programme or the host entity. As such, Online Volunteers are not eligible for the entitlements and benefits stipulated in the Conditions of Service. Their contribution is recognised with a certificate. 

Know more here: https://www.unv.org/become-online-volunteer 

Photo: © UN Volunteers

 

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UN entities involved in this initiative

UNV
United Nations Volunteers

Goals we are supporting through this initiative