The UNV Primer is a self-paced learning journey for UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) and RC Office Staff about the UN Volunteers’ contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals and how simple it is to engage them. The Primer features case studies about the impacts of UN Volunteers’ work and concrete examples of how country programming can unleash their transformational potential. 

Introduction

In the Decade of Action to Deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Volunteers are key agents of change. They are helping the UN to be more agile and act as ONE to implement the 2030 Agenda. 

As Assistant Secretary-General Robert Piper stated, “UNV is one of the jewels in the crown of the UN development system and the humanitarian system. We couldn’t do what we do without them”. 

Responding to the demand from Member States to promote broader ownership of sustainable development through volunteerism, the UNV Programme and the UN System Staff College have put together the UNV Primer. The Primer is a self-paced knowledge product for Resident Coordinators and their Offices about how UN Volunteers contribute to the SDGs.

The learning journey features case studies about who UN Volunteers are, what they do, and how impactful their work is. It also brings essential information on how to quickly engage a UN Volunteer, and distinct categories of service. 

Finally, the Primer highlights how Country Teams are responding to calls from the 2020 QCPR and the General Assembly Resolution A/RES/76/131 for integrating the specific contributions from volunteers into country programming. 

Course contents

The UNV Primer consists of one self-paced online module. It should take from 20 to 30 minutes to complete the module.

Following a completion track or passing knowledge checks are not required. The audience is free to navigate through the module to access the content of their interest directly:

Summary chapter | In a nutshell: how can UN Volunteers help and how to engage them?

Chapter 1 | UN Volunteers and the 2030 Agenda: key to the UN service delivery

Chapter 2 | Who are the volunteers?

Chapter 3 | Volunteers’ categories and deployment

Chapter 4 | UN Volunteers strengthening collective UN results

Target audience

UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) and RC Office Staff.