On 07 December 2018, the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) attended to the International Volunteers Day “Volunteers Build Resilient Communities” in Ankara, Turkey. The programme hosted by Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Turkey in cooperation with UN Volunteers in Turkey with the high level participation of Ministry of Family and Social Policies of the Republic of Turkey and United Nations Population Fund. In 1985, the United Nations General Assembly declared that ‘5 December’ of each year shall be observed as the International Volunteer Day to promote volunteer work and benefits worldwide and to increase engagement in volunteer programmes. December 5 is celebrated as International Volunteer Day in 123 countries, including Turkey.

Throughout the program, panels and discussions focused on the importance of volunteerism to create resilient communities and launching “State of World Volunteerism Report (SWVR is a flagship report demonstrating how local volunteers across the region are strengthening their communities. On the occasion, H.E. Dr. Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Turkey has announced 2019 the year of volunteerism in Turkey.

The event was an opportunity for ICYF Team to widen its network with relevant UN Agencies, including UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, etc, as well as to acquire best practices for implementing one of the flagships programs adopted by the 3rd ICYF General Assembly, the “OIC Countries Young Volunteers Movement” to be launched sometimes in 2019.