“We are committed to tackling some of the biggest global challenges of our time. We’re proud to receive this award for our work in sustainable procurement, which underlines our commitment to raise the bar on the delivery of services in support of our partners,” said Grete Faremo, UNOPS Executive Director.

"UNOPS again achieving this award at gold standard demonstrates a rare commitment to implementing sustainable procurement at all levels of the organization and beyond," said Malcolm Harrison, Group CEO, The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS). 

One project highlighted as part of the latest award submission saw the construction of roads in remote parts of South Sudan to help improve livelihoods, by providing communities with sustainable access to agricultural markets. Implemented on behalf of the European Union, all procurement activities on the project integrated considerations on environmental protection, social progress and economic development at every level. These ranged from assessing the fuel efficiency of vehicles to purchasing from micro, small and medium-sized businesses, as well as businesses owned by women. 

This model of sustainable procurement is central to UNOPS work around the world and is constantly being developed to continually deliver best practice towards the organization’s mission of helping people build a better future.  

“Early on, procurement was recognized as a significant function in UNOPS commitment to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Over several years, the organization has been firmly dedicated to making sustainable procurement the standard at UNOPS and receiving the CIPS Gold Award for the fourth consecutive time is a testament to this ambition’s realization,” said Patricia Moser, UNOPS Director for Procurement.