UN Volunteers make a valuable contribution to the UNCT’s operations in any given country. While there is no dedicated UNV field unit in Indonesia, the global UNV programme provided for a dedicated officer to promote volunteerism and the UNV programme via the Resident Coordinators’ Office in the latter part of 2021.

For the first time in several years, the UN in Indonesia commemorated International Volunteers Day in 2021, through a virtual event that reflected on the extraordinary contribution of volunteers to Indonesia’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. The UN also led an in-depth survey on volunteerism and the SDGs as part of Indonesia’s VNR Process.

The contributions of volunteers from a diverse range of backgrounds with various skills and expertise are integral to the UN’s efforts to achieve the SDGs. In 2021, 84 UN Volunteers from 13 different countries served across 12 UN entities at 10 duty stations in Indonesia. Of these, 64 were National (Indonesian) UN Volunteers, and 20 were International UN Volunteers. Some 71% of the UN Volunteers that served in Indonesia in 2021 are women. One UN Volunteer with disabilities was engaged as Disability Inclusion Officer. The most common assignments were linked to communications (19 assignments), health (19 assignments), and finance, economics, and business (11 assignments).