IVY 2026: A Chance to Reimagine Global Volunteerism

This year’s International Volunteer Day (IVD), celebrated annually on 5 December, is special because the United Nations will launch the International Volunteer Year 2026 (IVY 2026).

IVY 2026 presents a unique opportunity to reset the global agenda for volunteerism, one of the most important tools to promote civic engagement—the foundation of our societies.

Civic engagement, expressed through volunteerism, can make local communities more inclusive and people-centered. Since volunteerism is by the people, for the people, and with the people, it is not just a tool—it is a catalyst for meaningful human-to-human experiences.

When designed, planned, and managed properly, including investing in the people driving it, volunteerism provides unique opportunities for personal growth and development. In an era in which artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving and reshaping aspects of our lives, volunteerism can offer new ways to forge human connections through helping others.

“In an era of political division and social isolation, volunteering offers a powerful way to forge connections and foster our shared humanity,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for this year’s IVD.

Yet, volunteerism struggles to be recognized for its vital role in society. It should be a unifying force, a glue to help reconnect communities, but too often it is treated as secondary, while policymakers focus on “more pressing” issues.

Instead of being viewed as transformational, volunteerism is often seen as “nice-to-have,” when in fact it should be central to policies promoting social cohesion and wellbeing.

Will IVY 2026 mark a turning point? Will it be embraced sincerely by leaders, or treated tokenistically, as often happens? These questions are important for shaping volunteerism as a key enabler of local prosperity and community development.

UNV, the United Nations program formally part of UNDP, has a unique role in promoting volunteerism globally. While the agency has made important contributions, it has often fallen short of its potential to mainstream volunteerism and fully harness its impact.

Recently, the government of Uzbekistan announced enhanced support for UNV—a positive step showing UNV’s increasing engagement with emerging economies. However, there remain concerns that UNV has become overly associated with full-time UN roles, resembling professional internships more than volunteerism, which risks undermining its core mission.

A reimagined UNV could focus on part-time volunteer placements in partnership with local organizations, ensuring that volunteerism remains central while maintaining professional pathways separately.

IVY 2026 also provides an opportunity to launch the new edition of The State of the World’s Volunteerism Report and the Global Volunteer Index, led by the University of Pretoria. These tools will provide crucial data on the number and impact of volunteers worldwide, strengthening advocacy and policy-making.

UNV’s expertise and convening power should be safeguarded and enhanced, allowing it to focus on volunteerism rather than administrative outsourcing or staffing functions. A semi-independent operational model could separate these tasks from UNV’s core mission, ensuring that the deployment of volunteers remains genuine and impactful.

A more grounded, agile, and community-focused UNV can make every contribution matter, fulfilling the promise of IVY 2026 and the 2025 IVD theme: “Every Contribution Matters.”

Simone Galimberti writes on SDGs, youth-centered policymaking, and a stronger, more effective United Nations.