74 - 76 74 - 76 77 - 79 77 78 79DP/1985/44 English Page 3 INTRODUCTION A brief overview of UNV i. The United Nations Volunteers programme will observe its fifteenth anniversary on 7 December 1985. During this 15-year period UNV has managed, following an initial start-up period, to sustain an upward growth curve. The Administrator is also gratified to note once again the high quality of services rendered by the individual United Nations volunteers, who justly deserve the respect which they have come to gain in the international development community. 2. The guiding principle of UNV operations continues to be its marked recipient orientation, with the paramount objective of harnessing the volunteers’ dedication and technical competence for the fulfilment of the interests of the developing countries as they, themselves, define them. 3. A second important characteristic is the programme’s universality, not only in terms of the availability to all participating countries of this cost-effectlve alternative form of technical assistance (UNDP’s "soft window’),but also in terms of the origin of the volunteers. Continuing efforts are made by UNV to extend the network of countries from which volunteers are recruited as well as those in which they serve; the Adminlstratoris pleased to inform the Council that these efforts are meeting with success, notwithstanding the still small numbers of volunteers coming from some of the major industrialized countries. 4. Cost-effectiveness remains a hailmark of the United Nations Volunteers. More and more Governments and United Nations executing and specialized agencies have recognized that UNV provides a way of stretching scarce resources further, enabllng the international development community to maintain a high level of response to the needs of recipient countries. 5. It is also well to recall that UNV represents, qualitatively, a response to development needs which has come to be known as appropriate technical
**Analysis**
The text appears to be focused on the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program, discussing its history, principles, and objectives. The language used suggests a development-oriented context, with a focus on providing technical assistance to developing countries. The text also touches on the cost-effectiveness and universality of the program, which may indicate a broader scope beyond a specific sector.

**Category**
Economic development, Humanitarian aid and relief