United Nations Volunteers is leading an initiative by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to bridge the "digital divide" between developing and developed countries. The United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS) represents a coalition of international high-tech volunteer corps, including Net Corps Canada and Net Corps America, which operates under the coordination of UNV, the volunteer arm of the United Nations based in Bonn, Germany.

By mobilizing volunteers, both online and on-site, UNITeS provides training on the use and opportunities of information and communication technology. The application of information technology in areas such as health, education, environment and small and micro-enterprises is expected to result in significant benefits to those who have been marginalised by poverty and lack of access to basic services. The UNV programme brings logistical support, human resources and a record of nearly thirty years of experience in the field of volunteerism to this new endeavour.

UNITeS involves a broad range of institutions worldwide, including governments, civil society, development agencies, academia and the private sector. The programme intends to foster the participation of developing country nationals as volunteers to the greatest possible extent and will give priority to South-South exchanges. In the long run, it is hoped that UNITeS will stimulate the creation of additional digital corps worldwide.

UNITeS Volunteers in Action

UNITeS became operational on 1 August 2000, with the first volunteer taking up his assignment in India, in the State of Orissa. Other UNITeS initiatives in progress include projects in Bhutan, Botswana, Chile, Ecuador, Jordan, Mongolia, Senegal and South Africa. Key partners include volunteer networks, non-governmental organizations, governments, the UN Development Programme and the World Bank.

The UNITeS initiative has launched a new generation of volunteerism meant to level the playing field in the area of information technology. Some 88% of all Internet users live in industrialized countries, which account for only 15% of the world’s population. To purchase a new computer, the average US citizen has to spend roughly one month of his or her salary, while the average Bangladeshi has to save for eight years.

An official UNITeS website was launched under www.unites.org. The site generates discussion and debate on issues related to information and communication technologies, as well as volunteerism and global development in general. It also generates feedback on the values and objectives of the UNITeS/UNV programmes and aims at involving development agencies, other volunteer organisations and IT specialists. When completed, this website will serve as the direct interface for accessing all UNITeS information services and management tools.

For more information contact:
United Nations Volunteers
External Relations Group
Klas Bergman
E-mail: klas.bergman@unv.org
Tel: (49 228) 8152511

Nanette Braun
E-mail: nanette.braun@unv.org
Tel: (49 228) 8152220