The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and Peace Corps have signed a memorandum strengthening cooperation between the organizations. As the first official agreement linking the two, the memorandum focuses on closer collaboration in the promotion of volunteer action, as well as the recruitment of American citizens wanting to serve as UN Volunteers. Fifty Peace Corps/UN Volunteers are currently supporting development projects in more than 20 countries.



The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and Peace Corps have signed a memorandum strengthening cooperation between the organizations. As the first official agreement linking the two, the memorandum focuses on closer collaboration in the promotion of volunteer action, as well as the recruitment of American citizens wanting to serve as UN Volunteers. Fifty Peace Corps/UN Volunteers are currently supporting development projects in more than 20 countries.

UNV and Peace Corps step up cooperation to promote volunteerism and mobilize volunteers
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WASHINGTON/BONN, 18 November 2004 -- The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and Peace Corps have signed a memorandum strengthening cooperation between the organizations.

As the first official agreement linking the two, the memorandum focuses on closer collaboration in the promotion of volunteer action, as well as the recruitment of American citizens wanting to serve as UN Volunteers.

“It is a continuation of a partnership that has been developed between UNV and Peace Corps that recognizes the new challenges faced by volunteers working around the world,” says Rick Montpelier, a recruitment and placement specialist with Peace Corps.

Peace Corps, the Washington-based volunteer sending organization, and UNV have been working together for more than 30 years. In 1971, the first Peace Corps/UN Volunteer was assigned in Yemen to provide technical expertise in agriculture.

Fifty Peace Corps/UN Volunteers are currently supporting development projects in more than 20 countries.

Since 1961, more than 171,000 volunteers have served in the Peace Corps, working in such diverse fields as education, health, HIV/AIDS education and prevention, information technology, business development, the environment, and agriculture. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a two-year commitment.

Based in Bonn, Germany, UNV is the UN organization that supports sustainable human development globally through the promotion of volunteerism, including the mobilization of volunteers. As a part of its activities, each year, UNV provides the opportunity for more than 5,500 skilled and experienced professionals, 70 percent coming from developing countries, to support peace, relief and development initiatives in some 140 countries. In addition, it engages thousands of other individuals in the work of the UN through www.onlinevolunteering.org, and manages the WorldVolunteerWeb, a global volunteering portal that serves as a knowledge resource base for campaigning, advocacy, information dissemination and networking.

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For more information, contact:
Rick Montpelier, Recruitment and Placement Specialist, Peace Corps, tel: (202) 692 1643;
email: Rmontpelier@peacecorps.gov
Edward Mishaud, Associate Communications Officer, tel: (49 228) 815 2223;
email: Edward.Mishaud@unvolunteers.org

For application information, please visit the Volunteers section of this web site.

When this story was posted in November 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

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Read the stories and leave your comments.