The UAE has been unanimously selected by the International Association for Volunteering Effort (IAVE) as the host country for the 26th World Volunteer Conference in October 2020, a media report said.

 After a rigorous selection process, the Emirates Foundation in Abu Dhabi has been chosen as the host organisation for this premier global event, to take place in 2020, reported Emirates news agency Wam.

The 2020 conference holds extra significance as it is also marks IAVE’s 50th anniversary, a key milestone for the organisation.

The biannual event is the largest global gathering of volunteering experts and practitioners, and the announcement confirming Abu Dhabi as hosts in 2020 was made during the closing ceremony of 2018’s conference in Augsburg, Germany.

This will be the first time the conference will be hosted in the UAE since its launch in 1970. And while the exact date of the event has not been announced, it will take place during the same month as the launch of Expo 2020 Dubai, which opens on 20th October of that year.

Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Foundation will coordinate the conference, building on its mandate by the Abu Dhabi government to facilitate public-private funded initiatives for the empowerment of youth across the UAE. Volunteering is one of the organisation’s key pillars – along with innovation, entrepreneurship, empowerment and engagement.

More than 1,000 participants representing volunteer communities of over 90 countries are expected to attend, including government entities, the private sector, non-profit groups, and individual philanthropists.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chairman of the Emirates Foundation, said, "We are honoured to be hosting the next IAVE World Volunteer Conference in 2020 in Abu Dhabi, which attests to the leading role our nation is playing on the global stage in the area of volunteering.

"Corporate citizenship and social responsibility are fundamental pillars for building the strong communities that will unite our nation in responsibility. It starts with volunteering, which nurtures a common spirit of giving, one that honours the legacy of our Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan."

"IAVE is delighted that Abu Dhabi in the UAE has been selected as the location of the 26th IAVE World Volunteer Conference in 2020 and that the Emirates Foundation will be our host organisation partner. This will be the first time that an IAVE World Volunteer Conference has been held in the Arab Nations region," said Kylee Bates, IAVE World President.

"The city of Abu Dhabi has demonstrated leadership and ambition for volunteering in the region and beyond. IAVE is excited to be partnering with the Emirates Foundation as the host organization to deliver an ambitious conference that we know will both celebrate IAVE’s first 50 years and provide significant momentum for the next 50 years," she added.

Maytha Al Habsi, CEO of Emirates Foundation, added, "We thank the IAVE board members for their confidence in Abu Dhabi and our ability to further the mission and objectives of the global volunteering community. We look forward to contributing our voice, as together we share our experiences, challenges, innovations, and means for collaboration around volunteering efforts."