Across six continents, the United Nations Volunteers program has launched IVY 2026, a ambitious initiative designed to amplify volunteer-led action on some of the world's most pressing challenges. From refugee advocacy campaigns in Niger to youth employment programs in Zambia, the initiative channels the energy and expertise of ordinary people doing extraordinary work—and it's reshaping how communities tackle problems from the ground up.
The scale is striking. In the Arab States alone, over 16,000 volunteers are engaged in IVY 2026, while Asia and the Pacific region has mobilized nearly 25,000 volunteer workers. West and Central Africa counts more than 22,000 participants, with similar numbers spreading across Latin America and the Caribbean, East and Southern Africa, and Europe and Central Asia. These aren't just statistics—they represent real people in real places deciding to show up for their neighbors and their causes.
What makes volunteer-led initiatives so effective? According to the UN Volunteers framework, they strengthen accountability through empowered individual voices, enable transparent decision-making processes, and give communities the tools to address their own pressing issues. Last year, 100 online volunteers deployed with the UN Refugee Agency in Niger spent nearly two months raising awareness about refugee rights across the country, demonstrating how digital mobilization can extend the reach of human compassion. Their work wasn't peripheral—it was central to shifting public understanding and collective responsibility around refugee protection.
The focus on youth employment reveals the program's forward-thinking approach. In Zambia, UN Volunteers collaborated with the UN Development Programme on the National Development Plan, specifically advocating for volunteering opportunities that improve young people's employability skills. This isn't charity dressed up as development—it's recognizing that investing in youth volunteering creates pathways to meaningful work while simultaneously strengthening communities.
The human arc of these initiatives is perhaps best captured by the story of Ulrika Modeer, now Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy at UNDP. She began her career as a UN Volunteer in India and has risen to one of the UN system's senior leadership positions. Her simple but powerful mantra—"Follow your passion and work towards bringing a change"—encapsulates why IVY 2026 matters. Volunteer work isn't a stepping stone that people leave behind; it's often a beginning that shapes entire careers in service.
The 2026 State of the World's Volunteerism Report, titled "Volunteerism and its Measurements," will provide deeper evidence on how this work translates into measurable impact. Meanwhile, the UNV Knowledge Portal has become essential infrastructure for development practitioners and policymakers seeking the latest global, regional, and national data on volunteerism—showing how volunteer work is measured and what national laws and policies support it.
IVY 2026 arrives at a moment when top-down solutions feel increasingly inadequate and citizens are hungry for agency. By mobilizing volunteers across six regions and focusing on concrete outcomes—from refugee rights to youth employment—the initiative trusts what has always been true: that the most sustainable change comes when ordinary people decide to show up, speak out, and work together.