The United Nations General Assembly declared 2001 the "International Year of Volunteers." In January 2001 Taiwan's legislature passed the Volunteer Service Act, making the ROC the second country (after Spain) to promote volunteerism through legislation.
二○○一年為聯合國大會宣布的「國際志工年」，同年元月，我國政府立法通過「志願服務法」，成為繼西班牙之後，全世界第二個由政府立法來推動志願服務工作的國家。