International Volunteer Day: the Monegasque Cooperation celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Monaco International Volunteer Programme (VIM)
The Government of Monaco commemorates International Volunteer Day, which takes place every year on 5th December, by showcasing its volunteer programme - this year celebrating its 15th anniversary.
Created in 2007, the VIM programme was initially set up to meet a two-fold objective: to offer young adults between 21 and 35 the opportunity to gain professional experience in international solidarity with extensive mentoring; and to contribute towards the Government of Monaco’s development cooperation strategy by means of human and technical support for local partners.
The volunteer assignments proposed last for a period of 1 to 3 years and are carried out in the Monegasque Cooperation’s intervention countries, such as Lebanon, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia.
Volunteers are posted to partner organisations of the Monegasque Cooperation and work in its priority intervention areas, namely health, education, child protection, food and nutritional security, as well as access to decent work.
Since the programme was launched, over 60 volunteers have completed an international solidarity mission in 10 cooperation countries with over 30 partners. Every year, ten or so volunteers are deployed in the field and benefit from a comprehensive monitoring and training mechanism.
Volunteers currently posted abroad include a protection officer for the United Nations Agency for Refugees (HCR) in Zarzi, Tunisia and a project leader for financial partnerships at the European Institute for Cooperation and Development (EICD) in Beirut, Lebanon.
For more information on the VIM programme: www.cooperation-monaco.gouv.mc/Volontaires-Internationaux
