In an era of political division and social isolation, volunteering offers a powerful way to forge connections and foster our shared humanity. 

On this International Volunteer Day, we honor the millions across the globe stepping forward to serve their communities and advance the greater good.

This year’s theme, “Every Contribution Matters,” reminds us that everyone has something meaningful to offer, and that every cause, from hunger, to climate, to humanitarian action, benefits from the enthusiasm and expertise of volunteers.

I extend my deepest gratitude to the more than 14,000 people who have served through the United Nations Volunteers program, and to the countless others who give their time and talents to help neighbors and strangers alike. Your commitment, solidarity and compassion are shaping a better world.

This week also marks the launch of the International Volunteer Year 2026.

Over the next 12 months, I urge everyone, everywhere to volunteer for a cause that matters to you. In times of crisis and uncertainty, you can be the change you wish to see. 

Together, we can grow a global movement of volunteers, and build a brighter, more caring future for all.

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Slavery is a horror from the history books — and a relentless contemporary crisis.

On the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, we remember past victims, especially the more than 15 million men, women and children across Africa who were seized, shackled and sold into bondage an ocean away — or perished en route.

We recall the painful scars their enslavement left on our societies, including structural inequalities and systemic injustices that have persisted for generations.

We rally to protect the estimated 50 million people now trapped in contemporary forms of slavery around the world, many of them women and children.

And we reiterate our appeal to prevent human rights violations like forced labor and forced marriage from claiming more victims.

Contemporary forms of slavery are perpetuated by crime rings that prey on people struggling to cope with extreme poverty, discrimination or environmental degradation — and by traffickers who exploit people fleeing armed conflict or migrating in search of safety and opportunity. It robs people of their rights, and their humanity.

Governments, businesses, civil society and trade unions must unite to end this crisis once and for all. And they must provide remedy and redress, with real access to justice, fair compensation, rehabilitation, restitution, and guarantees that victims and their families will not suffer again.

2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the Slavery Convention, when the international community made a bold commitment to end slavery in all its forms. We must act with the same resolve to eradicate contemporary forms of slavery. A world built on freedom, dignity and justice for all is not only possible — it is our sared responsibility.

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Today’s dialogue on the dangers and complexities of reporting from the Occupied Palestinian Territory holds tragic relevance. Journalists in Gaza have been facing the same risks and realities as the people they cover — including displacement, famine and death. Since the appalling attacks on 7 October, more than 260 media workers have been killed there, making this the deadliest conflict for journalists in decades.

The rules of war are clear: Civilians and civilian infrastructure are not a target. Journalists must be able to perform their essential work without interference, intimidation or harm. This includes the unacceptable ban that prevents international journalists from accessing Gaza.

The UN is unwavering in its commitment to the only sustainable solution: a credible, irreversible pathway to ending the occupation and to two States, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security within their secure and recognized borders on the basis of pre 1967-lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, in line with international law, UN resolutions and other relevant agreements.

Your work as journalists — bearing witness, reporting the facts — is vital in building the informed global consensus required to realize this goal.

May your dialogue today strengthen respect for press freedom and the protection and safety of journalists in the Middle East. And may your work in the months ahead strengthen the foundation for a just and lasting peace.

(United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development on 5 December 2025, on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on 2 December 2025, and to the 2025 United Nations International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East on 1 December, in New York.)