The role of volunteers in delivering services, disseminating information and awareness and developing localized solutions has come to the fore in 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

UNV estimates that globally there are around one billion volunteers that carry out a range of roles in their communities and societies. Therefore, volunteering is an enormous resource for social, economic and environmental problem-solving throughout the world, with volunteers accelerating progress towards the SDGs in the Decade of Action by contributing to eliminate poverty, improve basic health and education, tackling environmental issues, and addressing social exclusion.

In this context, UNV works with the UN Member States and other stakeholders to support evidence on whole-of-society approaches and volunteer contributions to the SDGs in their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).

This guidance note provides governments and development practitioners with useful tools on how to recognize volunteer contributions to the SDGs in VNRs.