How UNOPS drives Sustainable Development through effective procurement practices

“Effective public procurement underpins nearly all sustainable development activities. Every Global Goal, every mission, every operation. Without efficient and sustainable purchasing of goods and services, addressing the world’s problems would be impossible,” says the UNOPS Director of Procurement Group, Ms. Anne-Claire Howard.

UNOPS is a global leader in procurement services, employing best practices to drive sustainable development. In Uzbekistan, UNOPS has been implementing various projects*, aiming to enhance healthcare services through sustainable procurement practices. 

Procurement is deemed sustainable when it integrates requirements, specifications, and criteria accounting for environmental protection, social progress, and economic development. UNOPS experts are committed to implementing these practices within the projects in Uzbekistan, focusing on sustainable materials, social well-being, health, and safety policies, energy efficiency, promoting local employment opportunities, women-owned businesses, and labour rights.

By evaluating the feasibility and impact of emerging technologies, such as advanced imaging systems, and smart healthcare management systems, UNOPS experts guide medical facilities toward transformative advancements. This fosters innovation, and drives progress in the healthcare sector, optimising working conditions and enhancing overall job satisfaction of healthcare workers. In turn, by ensuring the availability of sustainable and efficient medical equipment, patients benefit from improved diagnosis, treatment, and overall quality of care. Sustainable equipment promotes better patient results, reduces the risk of complications, builds trust in their healthcare providers, and enhances patient satisfaction.

UNOPS is determined to build market capacity in developing countries, and promote women-owned businesses and micro, small or medium-sized enterprises as a way to foster sustainable development. Building a local supply base not only contributes to the economic development of the countries UNOPS operates in, but also advances sustainability initiatives by minimising transport-related emissions.

UNOPS stays committed to environmental protection, paving the way for a greener future, where sustainability and efficiency go hand in hand. For the projects in Uzbekistan, UNOPS prioritises equipment procurement that incorporates energy-efficient systems, reducing operational costs and minimising environmental impact, so that healthcare facilities can reduce maintenance costs and allocate resources more efficiently. 

Transparency and integrity are at the core of UNOPS sustainable procurement practices. By establishing open and clear rules, UNOPS ensures fairness in the procurement process that fosters healthy competition among suppliers, allowing for quality and competitive responses from the local and international market place.

For UNOPS, gender-responsive procurement serves as a potent tool to achieve socio-economic objectives, bridging wage gaps, creating employment opportunities for women, and mitigating gender-related labour imbalances. To implement this approach, UNOPS relies on three key pillars:

• Incorporating gender considerations into procurement processes.
• Ensuring an inclusive procurement process that does not discriminate against women.
• Procuring goods, services, and works that positively contribute to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Additionally, UNOPS recognizes the significance of inclusion. It involves procuring accessible goods and services to ensure that everyone, including persons with disabilities, can participate, making the procurement process itself accessible, and collaborating with disability-inclusive suppliers to promote inclusive and equitable participation in procurement activities.

Recent Visit of Director of UNOPS Procurement Group

A recent visit (12-16 January 2024) of the Director of UNOPS Procurement Group to Uzbekistan, Ms. Anne-Claire Howard, highlighted the organisation's commitment to SDGs acceleration in the country. During this visit, UNOPS’ key stakeholders and partners engaged in discussions on how UNOPS' expertise in procurement can further advance sustainable development goals and the national priorities in Uzbekistan.

UNOPS has established itself as a reliable long-term partner for the Government of Uzbekistan, actively supporting the implementation of healthcare reform efforts. With a shared vision for positive change and progress, the combination of UNOPS' global technical expertise and local presence, positions UNOPS as a reliable development partner, capable of effectively addressing emerging needs and delivering results that positively impact communities. 

By focusing on sustainable procurement practices, UNOPS aims to serve people better, protect the environment, build trust, drive equality, ensure human rights, and boost economic growth. These principles align with the organisation's overarching mission of advancing sustainable development and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs in each country, UNOPS works.

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* Within the project on Emergency Response to COVID-19, UNOPS is supporting the Government of Uzbekistan in enhancing the country's resilience against the COVID-19 pandemic and potential future epidemics. To achieve this, UNOPS is using a $160.7 million loan from ADB and AIIB to equip and refurbish the national laboratory system, establish an ICT-based national surveillance and monitoring system, and expand treatment capacity for COVID-19 and other epidemiological cases.

The Phase II of the project on Modernization of Oncological Institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan, financed by a $64.8 million loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), is focused on strengthening the preparedness of the healthcare system in Uzbekistan through preventing and treating oncological cases in an effective and timely manner. Within this project, UNOPS is responsible for procuring and providing a range of medical, laboratory, radiological, and ICT equipment.