Volunteering as Essential in Achieving Sustainable Development UNV Responding to the 2030 Agenda

This discussion paper was submitted as part of the Administrator’s 2016 Report. It sets out a comprehensive argument as to why volunteerism is central to the achievement of the SDGs and how UNV is consequently responding. The paper looks at volunteerism as a powerful means of implementation and specifically examines the implications and role for UNV and how it can leverage its mandate to help achieve the SDGs through volunteerism. The paper concludes that to ensure the gains that UNV and other Volunteer Involving Organizations (VIOs) have made in terms of policy advancement are maintained and leveraged, UNV, in partnership with other VIOs, the private sector and governments, should continue to sharpen its narrative and that of volunteering for sustainable development. This will entail a continued engagement in policy advocacy at the national and global level, including positioning volunteerism as a viable mechanism for SDG achievement in the context of the High Level Political Forum, the body tasked to review SDG progress.