BONN, 5 June 2015 (UN News Service): Volunteers are playing a vital role in making governments worldwide more accountable and responsive to their citizens.
Nevertheless, their potential is seriously under-valued, a new report from the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme finds.
“By creating environments for people to volunteer their time, it is possible to use their skills and knowledge for the common good in the sphere of governance,” Richard Dictus, UNV Executive Coordinator said Friday on the release of the report.
“Change will occur with greater civic engagement broadening the number of people who have voice, who can participate and who can hold governance actors to account.”
“The State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2015” is the first global survey of the contribution of volunteers to better governance, a prerequisite (forudsætning) for the success of the new sustainable development goals to be agreed at the United Nations in September.
According to the study, the new agenda will only succeed if it looks into ways to engage communities more effectively, including through the power of volunteers and volunteering.
More than 1 billion people volunteer globally, the majority of them working in their own countries.
Drawing on evidence from countries as diverse as Brazil, Kenya, Lebanon and Bangladesh, the UN report, entitled “Transforming Governance”, shows how ordinary people are volunteering their time, energies and skills to improve the way they are governed at local, national and global levels.
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