UNV Ghana collaborates with the UN family, the Government, NGOs/CBOs and other development partners to carry out innovative activities with the over all objective of building national capacity to achieve the MDG targets and to strengthening volunteerism as a valued development tool.

The UNV Programme therefore promotes, facilitates, network and enhances recognition for volunteerism.  Emphasis is placed on revitalizing and encouraging traditional forms of volunteerism.  Age long volunteer practices at community level is also encouraged and supported. 

The bastion of volunteerism in most societies, women and youths is  targeted to play a greater role in the nations development.  Schools and other institutions are targeted to encourage the leaders of tomorrow to develop a culture of volunteering.  A conscious effort is being made to strengthen coordination mechanisms for greater efficiency and effectiveness of volunteerism.

In a bid to create an environment that fully recognize and appreciates voluntary work, we consider the current legislative framework and how this impacts on people’s ability to volunteer. Example abounds of success cases where the adoption or enactment of volunteer-friendly legislations has helped enormously to enhance voluntary contribution. 

To this effect, UNV Ghana works with its partners and the relevant Government DMAs to propose legislations or strengthen existing ones to ensure that volunteerism is fully supported at all levels.

Empirical evidence indicates that volunteerism contributes between 8-14% of GDP in countries where it has been measured.  For instance, in the USA, it generates 9 million full time jobs and up to $225 billion, while in Canada it generates 578,000 jobs and $11 billion.  Ghana has all it takes to even do better if the right environment is created. 

 To ensure that the contribution that is made by volunteers is properly documented and quantified, we will work towards the publication of a study on the Socio-Economic Impact on Volunteerism on Ghana.  

We  endevour to connect UNV Ghana in particular and volunteerism in Ghana in general to the ‘information super highway’ by developing a website for the programme.  The site  showcases UN Volunteers in Ghana, Ghanaian UN Volunteers abroad, living conditions in Ghana, criteria for being a volunteer, at home and abroad; qualification requirements, UNV partners and latest news and events.

Finally, UNV Ghana  takes practical steps to increase the number of Ghanaians serving as volunteers, both at home and abroad. This hopefully, will create result in greater capacity building of Ghanaian work force and strengthen voluntary contribution to the development globally.

UNV works with other UN Agencies, Government departments, agencies and ministries, NGOs/CBOs and other interested organizations to advance Ghana’s development agenda and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.  It carries out activities in a participatory manner with particular focus on the following areas:

• Poverty reduction because extreme poverty continues to be a challenge to development.
• Gender equality and the empowerment of women because of the need to address and redress the issue of gender balance in society and to empower women for greater productivity and involvement in national development.
• Community empowerment and governance because it is necessary to empower the people to contribute more effectively to National development.
• Health because infant mortality under 5 mortality and HIV/AIDS are worryingly high.
• Education because adult literacy rate remains low so too is actual school attendance, especially for girls and people living in the rural communities.
• Environments because the disparity between woodland and grassland is widening by the day and there is need to reduce the rate at which the natural resources are being depleted.
• ICT because of the role telecommunication plays in an increasingly shrinking global village.
• Promoting youth participation in development because they have a contribution to make to Ghana’s future.