International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development 

The UN General Assembly has proclaimed 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.  

The previous International Year of Volunteers was in 2001, and in 2021 we marked its 20^th anniversary as well as the 20^th anniversaries of the launching of the first Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement, and the signing of an Accord between the Government of Canada and the (voluntary) non-profit and charitable sector.  

As we equip and position our sector for the next 20 years, we need to restore, regroup, rethink, and reinvigorate volunteerism from coast to coast to coast, as we all navigate the shifting nature of volunteerism and community participation.  

Join the movement and help lay the foundation for the next 20 years by: 

• Keeping the spotlight on the contributions of volunteers as we address critical social, economic, and environmental issues impacting our communities 
• Visiting https://volunteerstrategy.ca/ to learn more about the National Volunteer Action Strategy 
• Refreshing and re-signing the Accord