The Interamerican Centre for Volunteering Development (ICVD) is a key result of the volunteering strengthening efforts and regional strategies in the IFRC Americas Region to provide better services to National Societies (NSs).

The ICVD has two main general objectives:

• Support National Societies in their strategies and objectives to promote and improve volunteering management and development recognising that the investment in increasing the individual NS capacity contributes to collective effectiveness as a Movement.
• Advocate for volunteering as a continued fundamental pillar of the work of the Red Cross, re-positioning it at the center of our work, whilst ensuring that our volunteers are protected, motivated, trained and engaged.

Volunteers are central to our humanitarian mandate and operate in a constantly evolving environment. Their contribution to strengthening our National Societies and enhancing community resilience is invaluable and directly informs how effective we are as a Movement. The latest Analysis of Volunteering and Youth in the Americas and IFRC Global Review on Volunteering stress the importance of effective Volunteering management systems and describes the challenges and opportunities in Volunteering development in the region. Based on these analyses, the Americas Regional Office has consolidated approaches intended to further enhance volunteering development in the National Societies in the Americas by providing an enabling environment where volunteers are protected, motivated and qualified in order to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations in fulfilment of the ultimate goal of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.