On 26 March 2019, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP) together with the United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV) co-organised a Regional Consultation on the Plan of Action for Integrating Volunteerism into the Agenda 2030 in Asia Pacific, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The event was attended by representatives from governments from the Asia-Pacific region, UN agencies and volunteers from private sector, academia and civil society organisations.

 

Mrs. Kanchana Patarachoke, Director-General of the Department of International Organisations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, delivered the opening remarks. She emphasised the crucial role of volunteerism in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since volunteers have access to grassroots and remote communities, have the trust of the people, and could act as liaisons between governments and the people, including data collection. Volunteerism should be viewed in a broader sense, not only limited to social aid or services. Volunteers can share knowledge and make use of information and communications technology to help develop communities and formulate evidence-based policies. Furthermore, volunteerism should be promoted beyond the youth to the elderly. She also highlighted that volunteerism should be treated as a way of life, and everyone should contribute to creating a sharing society.

 

The Regional Consultation hosted a number of panel discussions, where stakeholders, including volunteers in the region, shared their views and experiences on opportunities, challenges and the potential future of volunteerism.  

 

The Regional Consultation was organised in the context of the 6th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), as mandated by the UN General Assembly Resolution “Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” which Thailand co-sponsored in December 2018. The outcomes of the consultation will be informed and presented at the Global Technical Meeting on “Reimagining Volunteerism for the 2030 Agenda” which will be held as a special event during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July 2020 in New York.