On International Volunteer Day, we are also announcing that the coming year has been declared the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (or International Volunteer Year – IVY 2026 for short) by the United Nations.
The initiative highlights the key role of volunteering in:
- achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and
- addressing the global, national, and local challenges of the modern world.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030) is a global framework adopted by the United Nations in 2015 that sets out a shared vision for development until 2030. It focuses on 17 sustainable development goals aimed at eradicating poverty, protecting the environment, reducing inequality, and ensuring a peaceful, just, and inclusive society, based on the principle of “leaving no one behind.”
Volunteering is recognized as an important mechanism for translating global sustainable development goals into concrete actions in communities.
IVY 2026 emphasizes that without the active role of volunteers and volunteer organizations, Agenda 2030 cannot be achieved.
We will ‘talk’ (well, mainly write) more about this topic in the coming weeks. For now, you can watch a video prepared for the Year by UN international volunteers.
