UN agency establishes office to support government’s goals

THE United Nations office for project services (UNOPS) – the UN’s infrastructure, procurement and project management specialists – has established an office in Papua New Guinea to support the Government in delivering its sustainable development goals priorities.
According to a statement, the move would allow UNOPS to manage its growing portfolio in PNG from Port Moresby and consolidate its track record of support for the country.
For the past three years, Unops has supported the Health Department with the procurement of medical supplies to respond to the Covid-19 crisis.
UN resident coordinator to PNG Gianluca Rampolla said the range of services and expertise that the agency brought would bolster and expand the support of the UN country team to the development efforts of the Government.
“Unops has a proud track record of success in more than 80 countries across the globe and its contribution to the Covid-19 response here in PNG has been immeasurable,” Rampolla said.
“Unops multi-faceted expertise in infrastructure and ‘at scale’ procurement will bring enormous benefits to the communities for which we work.”
Unops director in Thailand, Indonesia and Pacific countries, Samina Kadwani, said the establishment of the office was the culmination of a long-term strategy.
Kadwani said because UNOPS was a fully self-funded agency, expansions into new countries were carefully planned and executed.
“Globally, Unops operates under a best practice compliance framework to ensure the quality, resilience and sustainability of our services and deliverables,” she said. “This is important for our reputation and for the viability of our presence here in PNG.”
Unops country manager Ian Rector said, the agency would be in a better position to engage more regularly with clients and partners.
“Over the next few months, we will continue to meet with the Government, UN agency colleagues and development partners to facilitate the development of a long-term partnership strategy,” he said.