The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Statement by Grete Faremo to the UNOPS Executive Board
Under-Secretary-General Faremo delivers statement at Annual Session of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board in New York.
Ms. Faremo presented back on UNOPS results in 2017, a record year for the organization whose delivery exceeded 1.8 billion dollars, more than a 25 per cent increase on the previous year. Over a third of UNOPS total volume of services is with national authorities as they push to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We strive to achieve local impact. Last year we created more than 2.1 million days of paid work for local communities. And our support – as ever – was field-focused.
Among others, Ms. Faremo spoke about UNOPS implementation work to restore critical infrastructure to 1.2 million Yemenis; bring renewable energy to hundreds of thousands of people across Sierra Leone; and support housing upgrades for more than 28,000 people impacted by over fifty years of conflict in Colombia.
“The Secretary General reiterated the importance of infrastructure to achieve the SDGs. We are proud to be the lead UN organization in this field. More and more, we are seeing a broader recognition, of just how important infrastructure can be, as a bedrock underpinning many of the SDGs.”
Ms. Faremo also highlighted the importance of sharing information and expertise amongst partners to ensure that UNOPS can give countries the support they need.
