A/RES/56/38 2010 adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in May 2001, 5 Recognizing the valuable contribution of volunteering, including traditional forms of mutual aid and self-help, formal service delivery and other forms of civic participation, to economic and social development, benefiting society at large, communities and the individual volunteer, Recognizing also that volunteerism is an important component of any strategy aimed at, inter alia, such areas as poverty reduction, sustainable development, health, disaster prevention and management and social integration and, in particular, overcoming social exclusion and discrimination, Recognizing further the existing contribution of the organizations of the United Nations system to supporting volunteering, including the work of United Nations Volunteers around the world, by promoting volunteerism, including by placing volunteers, Aware of the need to approach voluntary activities strategically as a means of enhancing resources, addressing global issues and improving the quality of life for everyone, 1. Welcomes volunteering; 6 the report of the Secretary-General on support for 2. Also welcomes the work of the United Nations Volunteers as the focal point for the International Year of Volunteers in supporting national International Year of Volunteers committees and in collecting and disseminating information on the Year, including through its web site; 7 3. Expresses its appreciation regarding the support to the International Year of Volunteers extended by States, international organizations and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, especially at the local, national and regional levels; 4. Commends the ongoing contributions of all volunteers to society, including in extraordinary conditions such as disasters; 5. Encourages all people to become more engaged in voluntary activities; 6. Lays down in the annex to the present resolution the recommendations on ways in which Governments and the United Nations system could support volunteering; 7. Requests the Secretary-General to take specific measures, in particular within the mandates of the United Nations Volunteers and the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat, to disseminate widely the present resolution and the annex; 8. Calls upon all Governments and organizations of the United Nations system to give these recommendations due consideration; 9. Decides that on 5 December 2002, International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, two plenary meetings at the fifty-seventh _______________ 5 A/CONF.191/11. A/56/288. 7 www.iyv2001.org. 6 2