Less than two months before UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan officially opens the year on 28 November at UN Headquarters, national committees have put in place a broad range of activities to promote and recognize the work of volunteers. These national committees form the backbone of IYV in the individual countries. Volunteers in 80 other countries have started consultations or are on the verge of forming national committees. IYV national committees will not only plan events, but they will also carry out voluntary service and conduct follow-up after the year.
Members represent a diverse group, ranging from local volunteers to cabinet ministers.
Its goal is to help volunteers tap into national and regional networks of like-minded people. Web statistics show that the site is achieving its objectives. Along with this, the number of online contacts increases daily as volunteer organizations sign-up to list their group in the IYV country profiles. To date, about 3,000 global volunteer organizations have listed their groups.