Today, on International Volunteer Day 2025, we pause to celebrate the remarkable contributions of volunteers across the world.

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

We are also reminded that every contribution matters.

More than 2.1 billion people volunteer every month.

That’s 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 people taking action. 

The United Nations Development Programme has been extremely proud to host United Nations Volunteers since 1971. 

UNV has been an engine that promotes volunteerism worldwide and mobilizes talented individuals as UN Volunteers across the United Nations system. 

In 2025 alone, over 14,500 of them played a vital role– from responding to disasters and conflicts, building peace, and advancing development in some of the world’s most challenging contexts. 

The commitment, expertise, and compassion of UN Volunteers are quietly changing the world, often giving hope 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 an invitation to listen more deeply to volunteers, to support them more smartly,
to measure their impact better, and to celebrate their diversity and creativity.

Because when more people volunteer, communities grow stronger, and the Sustainable Development Goals become more likely a reality on the ground.

Finally, on behalf of UNDP, I would like to thank volunteers everywhere for your time, your skills, and your unshakeable belief that a better world is possible. 

Happy International Volunteer Day.