The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB), in partnership with the United Nations Volunteers, the Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS), the Hong Kong Volunteers Association and the Peace and Development Foundation, today (December 7) launched a new round of the United Nations Volunteers - Hong Kong Universities Volunteer Internship Programme, providing local undergraduate students with valuable volunteer internship opportunities in the overseas field units of various United Nations (UN) agencies.
 
     The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, said, "The Government has all along attached great importance to youth development. Since 2015, we have been providing funding support to local undergraduate students to undertake six-month voluntary placements in UN agencies. So far, over 80 students have participated in the Programme. Through the Programme, Hong Kong undergraduate students could develop their personal capacities and expand their horizons, as well as contribute to the international community as a Chinese youth volunteer."
 
     She pointed out that participants will gain first-hand experience in the country's participation in international affairs and understand China's contributions and influences in the global landscape, thus deepening their understanding of Hong Kong's role and positioning. She expressed gratitude to the country for its support in this Programme.

     She continued, "We had suspended all outbound youth internship and exchange activities since the outbreak of pandemic. I am delighted that we are now in a position to relaunch the Programme as the first initiative under our plan to resume youth activities outside Hong Kong in a gradual and orderly manner. Subject to the development of the pandemic, we will continue to increase the breadth and depth of various outbound youth internship and exchange activities in future. More details will be provided in the first edition of the Youth Development Blueprint to be published later."
 
     The Programme will offer 15 internship placements in different UN agencies in Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand from March to August 2023, covering areas such as health and education, environment and innovation management. Applicants should be full-time undergraduate students of local universities and be Hong Kong permanent residents. The HYAB will provide round-trip air tickets and monthly living allowance, etc. Moreover, the HYAB will offer suitable pre-departure training in collaboration with the AVS for participants.
 
     Details of the Programme are now available at its designated webpage (www.avs.org.hk/eng/UNV). Interested young people should submit applications on or before December 29.

Ends/Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Issued at HKT 12:00

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