Today, on International Volunteer Day 2025, the remarkable contributions of volunteers across the world are celebrated.

This includes those who rush to disasters; those who teach, mentor, and open doors for the next generation; and those who simply listen when no one else will.

It is also remembered that every contribution matters.

More than 2.1 billion people are engaged in volunteering every month.

That equals one in three working-age adults choosing, freely and without pay, to make someone else’s life better.

This is not a statistic.

It is action taken by people.

Since 1971, United Nations Volunteers have been hosted by the United Nations Development Programme.

UNV has functioned as a driving force for the promotion of volunteerism worldwide and for the mobilization of talented individuals as UN Volunteers across the United Nations system.

In 2025 alone, over 14,500 UN Volunteers played a vital role in disaster and conflict response, peacebuilding, and the advancement of development in some of the world’s most challenging contexts.

Through their commitment, expertise, and compassion, the world is being quietly changed, and hope is being delivered where it is needed most.

This International Volunteer Day also marks the launch of the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development in 2026.

It is intended as an invitation for volunteers to be listened to more deeply, supported more effectively, their impact measured more accurately, and their diversity and creativity more widely celebrated.

When more people volunteer, communities are strengthened, and the Sustainable Development Goals become more likely to be achieved in practice.

Finally, appreciation is extended to volunteers everywhere for their time, their skills, and their unwavering belief that a better world is possible.

Happy International Volunteer Day.

Source: 

https://www.undp.org/speeches/international-volunteer-day-5-december-2025