A global coalition of volunteer leadership organizations announced in late 2025 the “Call to Action for the Future of Volunteering” as a prelude to the International Year of Volunteers 2026, proclaimed by the United Nations. This is a shared agenda, one that Volies proudly aligns with, designed to strengthen the recognition, support, and protection of volunteering worldwide.
This Call to Action was jointly developed by IAVE — the International Association for Volunteer Effort and the Global Volunteering Forum, whose key findings on the state of volunteering we had the opportunity to explore in depth at the 2025 CSR Forum held in South Korea, which we attended.
It also involved contributions from other organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), UNICEF Generation Unlimited, and the United Nations Volunteer Group Alliance, in close collaboration with UN Volunteers (UNV). The initiative was officially launched on December 5, 2025, coinciding with International Volunteer Day, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, an event we attended.
Drawing on insights from nearly 14,000 volunteers and stakeholders across 164 countries, the Call to Action sets out a global framework to ensure that volunteers can contribute safely, effectively, and with greater impact at a pivotal moment: 2026, the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026).
The designation of the International Year of Volunteers 2026 by the UN General Assembly underscores the urgent need to elevate volunteering as a key driver of community resilience, sustainable development, and social cohesion.
However, volunteer contributions continue to be undervalued, under-resourced, and unevenly supported.
A Global Consultation
This Call to Action is grounded in one of the most extensive global consultations ever conducted on volunteering. The process was led by Dr. Chris Millora of Goldsmiths, University of London, in close collaboration with a group of sector leaders from around the world, who guided the interpretation of the findings and helped shape the final recommendations.
This collective effort ensures that the Call to Action reflects the lived experience, priorities, and aspirations of volunteers and organizations worldwide.
Three Areas of Action for a Stronger Future
The Call to Action outlines three priority areas where governments, volunteer-involving organizations, donors, businesses, and communities must act collectively:
1.Recognition
Volunteers must be systematically recognized and celebrated—not only symbolically, but through policies, funding, research, and meaningful participation in decision-making. This includes acknowledging diverse forms of volunteering, valuing local leadership, and embedding volunteering within national strategies.
2. Support
Volunteering requires an enabling infrastructure. Governments, organizations, and volunteers must work together to develop inclusive policies, strengthen volunteer management and training, create opportunities for marginalized groups, and invest in volunteering at both local and national levels.
3. Protection
Volunteers and the communities they serve must be protected. This means embedding safety, rights, dignity, and well-being into laws, policies, organizational practices, and humanitarian standards—from preventing exploitation to ensuring that volunteers are never used as unpaid substitutes for staff.
A Collective Movement for IVY 2026 and Beyond
"This Call to Action reflects a truly global effort, shaped by thousands of volunteers and organizations around the world. As we enter the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, we have an unprecedented opportunity to create systems that recognize, support, and protect volunteers worldwide. This agenda is practical, ambitious, and long overdue."
The coalition supporting the Call to Action will continue collaborating throughout 2026, producing resources, convening dialogues, and assisting governments and organizations in fulfilling their commitments. It encourages individuals and institutions to join the movement, widely share the Call, and take concrete actions during IVY 2026 to advance the agenda.
In the same spirit, Voluntare organized several gatherings in Spain and Colombia throughout 2025, specifically capturing the voice of corporate volunteering and creating spaces for dialogue and mutual learning to address present and future challenges.
International Year of Volunteers 2026
Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development 2026 aims to elevate volunteering as a powerful mechanism to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and strengthen community resilience worldwide.
Launched on International Volunteer Day, December 5, 2025, IVY 2026 is a call to governments, organizations, and communities around the world to champion volunteering in all its forms—formal and informal, local and global—while promoting inclusive policies and ensuring that volunteer contributions are recognized and measured.
Volunteering is a cornerstone of sustainable development and humanitarian action. Volunteers strengthen societies in times of crisis and peace, and their contributions are vital to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Recognizing and measuring the contributions of both formal and informal volunteers is essential to enhancing global understanding and shaping innovative models for the future.
The International Year of Volunteers 2026 seeks to highlight the essential role volunteers play in advancing global goals, fostering resilience, and driving collective progress. It encourages governments, organizations, and communities to support and recognize volunteers by creating safe and inclusive environments and integrating volunteering into policies.
