The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide.

Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation.

UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UNV volunteers, throughout the world.

Based in Bonn, Germany, the UNV programme is active in 130 countries every year. 

The UNV programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
In DRC, there are currently over 600 UNVs serving in MONUSCO and 80 in UN agencies. They are spread out over 27 duty stations, working in everything from Administrative Services to Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. They have come from more than 80 different countries to help promote the mandate of the UN, and achieve peace and stability in the DRC