UNDP and UNOPS co-host the UN China International Procurement Conference 2022

The second UN China International Procurement Conference was held on 16 August 2022, with representatives from UNDP, UNOPS, UNICEF, WFP, UNPD, UNHCR, UNFPA and UN Women presenting the key trends in international public procurement across the different UN agencies and international organizations - as outlined in the 2021 Annual Statistical Report on United Nations Procurement released by UNOPS in July 2022. This year’s conference also welcomed representatives from the World Bank and Médecins Sans Frontières, who presented key procurement data from their respective organizations.

With an in person event at the UN China compound in Beijing, as well as an on-line event open to the public, the Conference sought to provide suppliers with information on the 2022 procurement priorities for the various UN agencies, as well as available tools and platforms to help vendors - particularly Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Women-Owned Businesses (WOBs) - gain better access to international procurement markets.

Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Weihua Shen, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Ms. Beate Trankmann, Resident Representative of UNDP, Mr. Fuan Kong, Deputy Director of Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District Management Committee, Mr. Yi Zhang, Deputy Director of CICETE, Mr. Junfeng Jin, Deputy Magistrate of National Project Director Shanghai Qingpu District People's Government and Ms. Samina Kadwani, Director of Thailand Multi-Country Office UNOPS.

Each agency presented their procurement data, the categories of goods and services procured and new trends & statistics for procurement in China. In addition, UN Women hosted a session on ‘Becoming a Gender-Responsive Vendor’, highlighting the importance of gender equality in procurement, and what UN agencies and vendors can be doing to promote gender equality in the international public procurement market.

The Conference was hosted as part of the UNDP and UNOPS-led ‘Knowledge Sharing, Capacity Building and Supporting Service Programme on Sustainable Procurement of UN/International Organisations’, aimed at helping businesses align their procurement services with sustainable best practices and promoting decarbonization as part of China’s 2060 net zero emissions target. In particular, the project focuses on supporting SMEs and WOBs enhance their ability to participate in international organisations’ procurement processes and access the UN procurement market.

Since the launch of the Sustainable Procurement Project, substantial progress has been made. Around 200 local SMEs and WOBs have registered on the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM) - a first step to doing business with the United Nations. By identifying and translating over 300 suitable UN tenders into Chinese, the project has also facilitated higher market engagement of local businesses.

Ms. Beate Trankmann, Resident Representative of UNDP China, said, “By linking public procurement with sustainable development outcomes and aligning public spending with government objectives, we can not only generate value for money but also benefits for society, the economy and minimize environmental damage.”

As the largest development agency in the UN system, UNDP currently procures more than US$3 billion worth of goods and services each year globally, to ensure that developing countries have access to life-saving medicines, emergency relief supplies and a host of other much-needed items. “Embedding sustainability across our procurement operations is a crucial part of our commitment to supporting sustainable development,” said Ms. Trankmann.

UNOPS, as a pioneer in advancing sustainable procurement within the United Nations system and beyond, was a key contributor during the conference - with five teams from across the organisation invited to share their work, elaborate on their procurement needs and explain how to better engage with UNOPS from a more detailed and practical perspective. The presentations included an introduction to the work of UNOPS Sustainable Procurement Team; the work of the Asia Regional Health Cluster and the associated requirements of procurement in the healthcare sector; the key projects and procurement plans of the Thailand Multi-Country Office and the Sri Lanka Multi Country Office and a demonstration of the UN Web Buy Plus Platform, a UNOPS-built E-commerce solution used by UN agencies to ensure efficient and sustainable procurement.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Samina Kadwani, Director of UNOPS Thailand Multi-Country Office (THMCO) said: “Through this project, we are working to address the challenges faced by Chinese suppliers in the international public procurement space and encourage more sustainable procurement practices. In particular, we look to support Small and Medium Enterprises and Women-Owned Businesses to improve their access to international procurement markets to help them align with sustainable standards and best practices.”

The event saw significant participation within the industry, with over 350 companies registering, more than 2,200 viewers attending the online session and 39.4k clicks.

ENDS

Press contact details:

• UNDP: For media inquiries please contact: Yue Zhao, Innovation and Communications Officer (yue.zhao@undp.org)
• UNOPS: For media inquiries please contact: Ffion Conlon, Communications and Partnerships Officer (ffionc@unops.org)

About UNOPS:

UNOPS mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. We help the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way. We respond to our partner’s needs in the world’s most challenging environments, by combining the best of the UN and the private sector, as we build foundations for countries to achieve sustainable development. Read more: www.unops.org

About UNDP: 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been a leading development agency in the United Nations (UN) system for nearly half a century, and the largest multilateral agency for technical assistance in the world. UNDP is committed to promoting sustainable development, supporting countries to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion within planetary boundaries. It works in more than 170 countries and territories to help cope with global and domestic development challenges. Read more: https://www.undp.org/

About CICETE:

CICETE is a specialized project management agency for promoting multilateral and bilateral economic and technical exchanges and international development cooperation, improving self-development capacity of assisted countries and building a community with a shared future for mankind, to support

China’s economic and social development and the achievement of all-round Xiao Kang Society and UN Sustainable Development Goals. In the past 4 decades, CICETE has cooperated with UN agencies to implement over 1000 cooperation programs/projects in the field of industry, education, health, poverty alleviation, environment protection, climate change etc. Read more: http://www.cicete.org.cn/en/

About Shanghai Qingpu:

Qingpu District is located in the southwest of Shanghai, the lower reaches of the Taihu Lake and the upper reaches of the Huangpu River, and is the center of Yangtze River Delta economic circle. It is the permanent site of China International Import Expo (CIIE), and also the carrier of national strategies such as the demonstration zone of Yangtze River Delta Integrated Development and Hongqiao International Open Hub.

Visit the official website of People's Government of Qingpu District of Shanghai Municipality: https://www.shqp.gov.cn/english/