Context
Though Germany is the largest bilateral donor for the United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV), the number of German volunteers (49 in the year 2011) is significantly lower than the number of volunteers sent by other countries (e.g. 164 volunteers from Italy, 119 from France, 98 from Belgium, 93 from Spain, 88 from Japan and 78 from Canada). Since the 1970s the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports UNV inter alia by placement of volunteers respectivly funding of volunteer assignments. On the basis of an agreement between the Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (German Development Service, DED) and UNV from the year 2003 ten German UN volunteers have been fully funded each year.
Objectives
Under the new conditions following the merger of the three German development agencies the prerequisites to pursue and extend the cooperation with UNV are created and based on a broader foundation. The project will improve the cooperative relationship between UNV and GIZ in Germany as well as between UNV or other United Nations organisations and GIZ projects in the countries of intervention.
Approach
The project provides financial and organizational support to UNV for the recruitment of mainly German volunteers. It primarily consists of a financial contribution to UNV and accompanying process consulting.
Results
Maintaining the strategic cooperation with UNV, Germany as one of the locations of the United Nations makes a visible contribution to UNV and the UN family and thereby ensures reliability. By a process of constant dialogue trust was built up between the partners and favourable conditions for continuing the cooperation were set out.