The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is a United Nations agency dedicated to implementing infrastructure and procurement projects for the United Nations System, international financial institutions, governments and other partners around the world. The organization's global headquarters is located at the UN City campus in Copenhagen, Denmark. UNOPS is in charge of disbursing more than $3 billion worth of development projects and contracts for its partners every year. Its activities have ranged from managing the construction of schools in Afghanistan, to building shelters in Haiti, to procuring ambulances to support the Ebola response in Liberia. More recently, UNOPS was a key partner to more than 80 countries and territories in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UNOPS is a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group and works closely with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), and the World Bank.
History and mission
UNOPS was established in 1973 as part of the UNDP. It became an independent, self-financing organization in 1995. UNOPS was created to unify standards on UN projects and contracts, which were often humanitarian or peacekeeping works in poorer countries where there was a high risk of failure. It would unify the expertise needed to accomplish goals and ensure that each UN agency did not necessarily have to re-learn the same lessons of working in certain challenging environments. UNOPS concentrates its support in the areas of infrastructure, procurement, project management, human resources and financial management services. UNOPS often works in post-disaster and peace and security settings, developing countries and economies in transition. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan designated UNOPS as the lead United Nations entity for complex infrastructure projects in peacekeeping settings. In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly reaffirmed the mandate of UNOPS "as a central resource for the UN system in procurement and contracts management as well as in civil works and physical infrastructure development, including the related capacity development activities". Examples of such works include building roads, schools, and health clinics; removing landmines; and providing expertise for holding elections.
Financing
UNOPS is a self-financing organization. It covers direct and indirect costs by charging a fee on each project supported. UNOPS pricing policy outlines how the organization aims to finance its projects. UNOPS is not-for-profit.
In the 2010s and early 2020s, UNOPS acquired a substantial surplus of funds from its practices; it was accused of overcharging other UN agencies that were required to go through UNOPS to fund their projects.
Services
UNOPS offers implementation, advisory and transactional services in its five core areas of expertise: Infrastructure Procurement Project Management Financial Management Human Resources
UNOPS provides specialized services to a range of partners, including: the United Nations, its agencies, funds and programmes; international financial institutions; governments; intergovernmental organizations; non-governmental organizations; foundations; and the private sector.
In 2016, UNOPS created more than three million days of paid work for beneficiaries. The organization supported its partners with the construction, design and/or rehabilitation of more than 3,000 kilometers of roads, 50 schools, and 74 hospitals and 278 health clinics, among others. UNOPS also procured and/or distributed more than US$900 million worth of goods and services for its partners.
In 2017, UNOPS formed a group to work on applications of blockchain for international assistance.
UNOPS is the legal and administrative host for several organizations. The following entities are currently under hosting agreements by UNOPS, grouped by theme:
Health: RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Stop TB Partnership, Defeat-NCD Partnership Nutrition: Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Water and sanitation: Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (since 2009) Sustainable urban development (Cities Alliance) Disaster displacement (Platform on Disaster Displacement)
In addition, the UN-Water Secretariat is administered by UNOPS.