With the initiation and joint efforts of China International Centre for Economic and Technical Exchanges (below refer to CICETE), United Nations Development Programme(below refer to UNDP), United Nations Volunteers (below refer to UNV), Beijing Committee of the China Communist Youth League (below refer to BCCCYL) and Beijing Olympic Games Volunteer Work Coordination Group Office (BOGVWCGO), the programme of “Strengthening Volunteerism for Development in China through the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games” was inaugurated in the building of Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) on June 12 th , 2007. The project consists of three core components based on initiatives before, during and after the Olympic Games: 1) The training operational plan on the Olympic volunteer leaders and the volunteer managers before the Games. 2) A series of environmental protection activities through volunteerism with the “Green Olympics” concept. 3) Post-Olympic volunteerism actions including Olympic legacy transfer and a national volunteer campaign with nationwide volunteers engaged in. The originally planned implementation duration sets for three years, which will end in June 2010. The total amount of budget is 1.4 million USD, in which the UNDP TRAC resource covers 500,000 dollars, UNV 400,000 dollars and government co-financing 500,000 dollars.

The project aims to strengthen and promote national volunteerism and raise awareness of the contributions that volunteers can make towards a sustainable development agenda of the MDGs and a Xiao Kang Society through the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The specific goals are as follows: 1) To support and facilitate the Beijing Oly m pic Ga m es Volunteer Work Coordination Group Office (BOGVWCGO), Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) and Beijing Committee of the China Communist Youth League (BCCCYL) in implementing successfully the Beijing Olympic Volunteer Program Action Plan, especially the Training Operational Plan. 2) To enhance environmental awareness through volunteerism with the involvement of communities and civil society organizations to support the “Green Olympics” concept. 3) To engage volunteers through a national volunteer campaign and support Olympic legacy transfer to contribute to the sustainable development of Olympic volunteerism spirit.

Since the programme document was signed, all the activities are underway quite smoothly, which have been warmly reacted by the public and attracted great attention from all parties of the society with sincere assent.