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And of course, all the wonderful volunteers in the audience,

It is a pleasure to greet all the participants in this world conference.

Your chosen theme says it all: volunteers can change the world.

From peacekeeping to humanitarian emergencies.

From climate change to the Millennium Development Goals.

From social justice to social cohesion.

Volunteering is a powerful means to mobilize all segments of society. It unites individuals and countries in common cause.

I thank you all for supporting volunteerism. I also welcome your efforts to remove the barriers that keep potential volunteers from getting involved in building a better world.

UN Volunteers will continue to do their part –thousands of men and women who contribute every year to our global mission of peace, development and human rights.

Volunteering is a natural expression of human solidarity that deserves greater backing.

I urge Governments and other partners to strengthen the frameworks that support volunteerism.

In this year in which we mark the 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers, let us all recognize the wonderful contributions that volunteers make all over the world, in developing and developed countries alike.

To all of you at the International Association of Volunteer Effort, I wish you a happy 40th anniversary.

We have a tough and busy year ahead, and I will continue to count on your dedication and hard work.

Thank you.