TheInternationalVolunteerDayforEconomicandSocialDevelopment(IVD)wasadoptedbytheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblythroughResolutionA/RES/40/212on17December1985.Sincethen,governments,theUNsystemandcivilsocietyorganizationshavesuccessfullyjoinedvolunteersaroundtheworldtocelebratetheDayon5December.
IVDoffersanopportunityforvolunteerorganizationsandinpidualvolunteerstomakevisibletheircontributions—atlocal,nationalandinternationallevels—totheachievementoftheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals.
Overtheyears,rallies,parades,communityvolunteeringprojects,environmentalawareness,freemedicalcareandadvocaycampaignshaveallfeaturedprominentlyonIVD.
TheseeventsareledbyIVDnationalcommitteescomprisingpartnersfromtheUNsystem,governments,civilsocietyorganizations(includingnationaland/orinternationalvolunteerinvolvingorganizations)andcommittedinpiduals.SomeIVDcommitteesalsoincluderepresentativesfromthemedia,academia,foundations,theprivatesector,faithgroups,andsportsandrecreationalorganizations.
Inresponsetocallsbyvolunteergroupsandgovernmentalrepresentativesaroundtheworld,theUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyinNovember2002adoptedResolutionA/RES/57/106,whichinvitedtheUnitedNationsVolunteers(UNV)programmetodevelopaglobalInternetvolunteerresourcetotakeforwardgainsmadeduringtheInternationalYearofVolunteers(IYV)2001throughexpandednetworkingandknowledgemanagement.UNVrespondedbylaunchingtheWorldVolunteerWebon5December2002.SincethenthiswebsiteistheglobalfocalpointfortheIVDcampaign.
Encouragingmorepeopletovolunteerisa365-days-a-yeartask.Ifyouconsiderthecommittedworkofvolunteersofallagesaroundtheglobe,carryingouteveryimaginablekindofactivity,IVDshouldbeadaythatneverends