Multilateral stage

To encourage more young Chinese to take part in international affairs, the Chinese Young Volunteers Association and United Nations Volunteers Programme, or UNV, jointly launched a program in 2019 to send such workers from the country to UN agencies worldwide.

UNV Programme and Partnership Specialist in China, Zhang Nan, said that in 2019 and this year, 30 volunteers were sent to 15 UN agencies to serve in areas such as poverty reduction, gender equality, quality education, environmental protection, climate action and youth development.

"We believe that voluntary service has great potential to promote inclusive development and contribute to a better world," Zhang said.

She added that she hopes the program will offer a platform for ambitious and responsible young Chinese to improve their global vision, take look at themselves, and contribute to society.

"We are committed to bringing more outstanding young Chinese volunteers to serve in UN agencies and professional fields to contribute their wisdom, experience and expertise in realizing sustainable development goals," Zhang said.

"We also aim to create opportunities for young Chinese to take part in volunteer activities in a multilateral environment, tap their potential to promote world peace and development and to become leaders in advancing international development cooperation."

Zhou Shiyue, a volunteer worker from Jinan, Shandong province, at the UN Development Programme office in Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, said such work has no borders, adding that she hopes to serve in a multicultural capacity.

One of her tasks is to research comparisons between the cashmere industry in Mongolia and China, and explain China's experience and policies in developing this industry.

"I don't know if my work will make a vast difference to the country's development, but my strengths and the Chinese perspective I offer are all new to the UN agency in Mongolia," she said, adding that if her service benefits the department, she will be happy.

Guo Shuo, 28, from Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province, has been a volunteer at the Office of the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth in New York since January 2020. Her job involves producing content and maintaining and updating the office's social media accounts, which include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.