The Volunteer Groups Alliance (VGA) is a global NGO bringing together a coalition of more than 80 organisations and networks working in more than 150 countries that contribute to sustainable development through volunteering in all its forms. VGA’s mission is to promote and highlight the contribution of volunteers in delivering the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
VGA supports its member organisations by
connecting those working with Volunteer Groups across the world to help amplify the collective impact of volunteers in national, regional, and global SDG follow up and review processes
gaining recognition for the crucial role of volunteers in successfully monitoring progress on the SDGs at local, regional, and national levels and in UN processes
celebrating achievement on the advancement of the SDGs
As UN Member States and international institutions contribute to the Decade of Action (2020-2030), the Volunteer Groups Alliance is imagining a world in which the phenomenal resources, social capital and insights of volunteers mean they are truly in the driving seat of development. We know that these goals can be achieved in the following three ways:
Firstly,
reimagining through knowledge, by integrating evidence on volunteering at all stages in the 2030 Agenda processes at the national level and together in the United Nations.
Evidence is critical for the recognition of volunteer contributions on sustainable development. In 2022, 55% of countries mentioned volunteering in their Voluntary National Reviews on their SDG progress, and 9% reported the integration of volunteering into development plans, policies and strategies. Member States should cooperate with volunteer-involving and civil society organizations to include information on the scale, contribution, and impact of volunteering, including informal volunteering.
Secondly,
reimagining through dialogue, by creating new spaces to hear the voices of people taking action for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Millions of volunteers from all walks of life are playing a critical role not only in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals but also in supporting their accountability. Governments should engage volunteers in monitoring sustainable development at all levels as part of a wider commitment to civic engagement, accepting citizen-generated data and other evidence to complement official processes. Member States should also consult communities on sustainable development policies at all levels, take advantage of new forms of technology, and work with volunteers to listen to and amplify the voices of those who are frequently excluded or left behind.
Thirdly,
reimagining how we work together to partner with the world’s one billion volunteers, boosting the role of Member States as “connectors” and enabling partnerships to ensure robust cross- sector volunteering practice.
Strengthening partnerships across sectors is essential to advance the state of volunteering globally. It is imperative to bring together governments, civil society, the private sector, academia, and the international community in a collective conversation featuring multiple perspectives.
Volunteering is often the first step towards active citizenship and can help strengthen people’s ownership of their community’s development.
We commend those governments that recognize the value of systematic legislation, policies, structures, and programs for volunteer engagement and that have structures to enable more people to volunteer.
Where governments have created a conducive environment for civic engagement, and more particularly for volunteers to participate – or where they have been responsive to volunteer-led community initiatives – volunteers are more effective in SDG implementation.
Volunteers, too, are important for holding Member States accountable for their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Every day across the world, millions of ordinary citizens give their time to volunteer, making a vital and often under-recognised contribution to the delivery of the SDGs. United Nations Volunteers (UNV) estimates that one billion people annually contribute their time and energy to volunteer, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has estimated that volunteering adds 2.4% to global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Visit UNV’s Knowledge Portal on Volunteerism http://knowledge.unv.org/ for more information.
VGA calls for Member States to
formally recognize the contribution of volunteering to the implementation of the SDGs in their Voluntary National Reviews
ensure that Volunteer Groups are fully recognized and supported in the national plans and strategies for implementing the 2030 Agenda
support the participation of non-governmental actors in the SDG follow up and review processes
ensure the accountability, transparency and review framework for the SDGs involves community consultation at all levels, including representation of the most marginalised voices, as well as the volunteers that work closest to them
collect data on the contribution of volunteers in delivering the SDGs