Become a UN Youth Volunteer in 2022

UN Youth Volunteers are between 18 and 29 years old, and work with UN agencies on the frontlines of political, developmental and humanitarian operations.

UN Youth Volunteers are a separate category of UN Volunteers recently created in response to the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for greater engagement in volunteerism of history’s largest generation of people under 30. UN Youth Volunteers help the United Nations – one of the world’s most important intergovernmental organizations – to fulfill its mission. These young volunteers are assigned to host United Nations agencies to work on the frontlines of political, developmental and humanitarian field operations. UN Youth Volunteers are young people aged 18 to 29 years who want to engage in development and peace initiatives worldwide.

What do UN Youth Volunteers do?

As a UN Youth Volunteer, you will help advance peace and sustainable development either in your own country or in another country around the globe. You will help people to lead healthier and safer lives and communities to be able to better address present and future challenges.

UN Youth Volunteer positions are wide ranging; you may work in human rights, climate change adaptation, primary health care, disaster management, peacebuilding, youth engagement or many other areas. You may work directly in a United Nations agency or be assigned to one of its partner organizations, a university or the government.

In return, you will be rewarded with an experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Your engagement as a UN Youth Volunteer will be an opportunity to change the world for the better while simultaneously honing your own skills, gaining knowledge and a better understanding of the realities of international development and peacebuilding.

How long is the assignment?

Because UN Youth Volunteers are sponsored by United Nations agencies, their partners, governments or academic institutions, the length of assignment depends on the requesting entity’s needs. Most UN Youth Volunteer assignments are between six and 24 months. On occasion, national and international UN Youth Volunteer assignments are less than six months and then are referred to as ‘short-term’ assignments.

When UN Youth Volunteers are sponsored by an academic institution, they are called UN Youth University Volunteers. UN Youth University Volunteers undertake shorter duration assignments – generally between three and six months.

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