UNITED
NATIONS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Message
from
H. E. Dr. Han Seung-soo
President of the General Assembly
On
the occasion of
the Closing of the International Year of Volunteers 2001
5 December 2001
Today marks the closing of the International Year of Volunteers 2001, which provided a valuable opportunity to heighten public awareness and support for volunteerism at a global level. During this period, more than 120 national committees of UN member states hosted various activities in some 200 cities including seminars, exhibitions and campaigns in celebration of volunteers.
We are in need of
volunteers more than ever. These days we face growing problems of a national
as well as trans-national nature: environmental degradation, poverty,
HIV/AIDS, drug trafficking and terrorism, to name a few. Volunteers all
over the world can make significant contributions to solving these problems
through their activities in the fields of social and economic development,
humanitarian aid, the promotion of peace, democracy and, in particular,
respect for human rights.
Volunteering is different from other types of human activity because,
among other reasons, volunteers usually bring a distinctive enthusiasm
and exuberance to their works. Moreover, volunteer work is enriching for
the individual volunteer. People who volunteer are better able to develop
their potentialities, share knowledge and skills and gain opportunities
for career advancement.
Volunteering also enhances the self-esteem of participants, helps people learn from each other and widens social, economic and cultural networks around the world. In this regard, I would like to highly commend the United Nations Volunteers Programme and its Executive Coordinator, Ms. Sharon Capeling-Alakija, for their devoted efforts to assist developing countries by sending out about 4000 UN volunteers each year.
Let us renew our commitment
individually and collectively to supporting the volunteer movement. Above
all, it is the fundamental human desire to help each other that we need
to mobilize and channel in order to build a harmonious and peaceful world.
Volunteerism is thus at the heart of the ideals of the United Nations
and should be the future for all of us.