IYV National Committees have put in place a broad range of activities to promote and recognize the work of volunteers ahead of the official opening of the year by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 28 November at UN Headquarters. These national committees form the backbone of IYV in the individual countries. The newest national committees, formed at the beginning of November, are those in Belgium and Egypt. Volunteers in some 25 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.