The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.

Based in Bonn, Germany, UNV is active in around 130 countries. UNV, with Field Units in 86 countries, is represented worldwide through the offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

UNV directly mobilizes more than 7,700 UN Volunteers every year nationally and internationally, with 80 per cent coming from developing countries, and more than 30 per cent volunteering within their own countries.