Botswana

United Nations Volunteers (UNV)

United Nations Volunteers (UNV) is administered by UNDP and supports human development globally by deploying volunteer specialists and promoting volunteerism. Botswana benefits from one of the biggest UNV programmes worldwide.

UNV is a unique unit in the United Nations system for promoting the principles and practice of volunteerism and for mobilizing volunteers for peace and development.  Each year, UNV provides skilled professionals as volunteers in a variety of programmes in developing and transitional countries.  The activities undertaken by the UNV programme give people from all over the world an opportunity to share skills and knowledge by expressing their spirit of volunteerism and demonstrating the solidarity for the support of the less privileged.

In response to the development needs of Botswana, and in line with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), UNV interventions focus on issues related to HIV/AIDS. The substantive technical input of UNV Specialists adds critical value to the development assistance provided by UNDP and the rest of the UN.

A central component of the UNV Botswana Country Programme is the National UNV Modality. Through this scheme, local talent and expertise is harnessed to strengthen community and national capacities.

Developments

The Government of Botswana recognizes that an effective response to HIV/AIDS and gender issues should be multi-sectoral, gender-sensitive and ethically sound, as reflected in “Vision 2016” and National Strategic Framework 2003-2009. The Government of Botswana and UNDP signed a Programme Support Document in 2003 on “Strengthening Capacity for Gender-Sensitive Multi-Sectoral Response to HIV/AIDS”. The goal of the programme aims at contributing to the reduction of HIV/AIDS by 2016 and mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS through capacity-building for leaders, community capacity enhancement, and mainstreaming of gender and HIV/AIDS into sectoral mandates and plans.

In support of this programme, UNDP, in co-operation with the Ministry of Local Government (MLG) and UNV, engaged National United Nations Volunteers (NUNV) to implement the Community Capacity Enhancement Programme (CCEP) in the country as CCEP facilitators. The specific focus areas of support of the programme are as follows:

• Leadership development programme;
• Mainstreaming gender and HIV/AIDS into sectoral mandates and plan; and
• Strengthening school responses to HIV/AIDS.

More information about UNV