Capital picked as host of global volunteering conference in 2020

Abu Dhabi has been selected to host the World Volunteer Conference in October 2020.

The International Association for Volunteer Effort is the largest global gathering of volunteers. It will be hosted by the capital at a time when major events such as Expo 2020 Dubai need public support. The announcement was made at the closing ceremony of the IAVE’s global conference in Augsburg, Germany.

Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, and representatives from the Emirates Foundation, Emirates Red Crescent and Dubai Cares were part of the gathering.

This will be the first time the conference is held in the Middle East. It will be co-ordinated by the Emirates Foundation, which was set up by the Abu Dhabi Government to encourage more public-private funded initiatives.

More than 1,000 people from more than 90 countries are expected to take part, from government bodies and the private sector to non-profit organisations and individual philanthropic groups.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, and chairman of the Emirates Foundation, said the decision demonstrated the UAE’s strength in volunteering on the global stage.

“Corporate citizenship and social responsibility are fundamental pillars for building the strong communities that will unite our nation in responsibility. It starts with volunteering, which nurtures a common spirit of giving, one that honours the legacy of our Founding Father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan,” he said.

Sheikh Abdullah thanked voluntary organisations for their contribution in shaping, guiding and delivering programmes that placed young people at the forefront of volunteering efforts.

“Your ongoing efforts to empower our nation’s youth are vital to fuelling the growth of volunteering and service in the UAE and achieving a sustainable culture of giving, delivering social progress for many generations to come,” he said.

Maytha Al Habsi, chief executive of Emirates Foundation, thanked the IAVE for the confidence it showed in selecting Abu Dhabi.

“We look forward to contributing our voice, as together we share our experiences, challenges, innovations, and means for collaboration around volunteering efforts,” she said.

The selection committee said the capital had made efforts to leave an impact through volunteering.

The UAE created a nationwide platform, volunteers.ae, that has engaged 335,083 volunteers and works with 349 organisations. This comes under the Ministry of Community Development in partnership with the Emirates Foundation.