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UN Development Agencies
The UN operates numerous agencies that support social and economic development around the world. These agencies cover every sector from agriculture to nuclear power, and procure very large quantities of goods and services each year. Almost all their development programs are delivered by UN country offices and are often implemented by national authorities in the recipient country.
All UN aid is untied. Procurement notices for most UN projects are posted at the UN Global Marketplace, on the websites of the relevant country offices and in UN Development Business.
The major UN development agencies are the following:
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
- International Labour Organization (ILO)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- United Nations Procurement Division (UNPD)
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
- World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Website: www.undp.org
The UNDP designs, funds, and implements technical cooperation and capacity-building projects in developing and transitional countries. It focuses on democratic governance, poverty reduction, energy, the environment and HIV/AIDS.
Procurement at UNDP is decentralized and is the responsibility of UNDP's country offices. Resident Representatives in these offices, or delegated authorities, are responsible for the procurement cycle from the sourcing of suppliers to the awarding of the contract.
Website: www.fao.org
The FAO is the lead UN agency for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development. It provides technical assistance to developing countries in agriculture productivity and natural resource management; in supplying agricultural inputs to poor farmers; and in collecting and disseminating information on agricultural issues.
The FAO does most of its procuring through the Procurement Service at its Rome headquarters. Procurement is through an open competition whereby the FAO delivers Invitations to Bid or Requests for Proposals to a shortlist of registered suppliers.
Website: www.iaea.org
The IAEA focuses on nuclear safeguards and verification, research into nuclear safety and security, and peaceful applications of nuclear technology. It provides equipment, technical services and training for nuclear-related issues of human health and safety, food, agriculture and water resources.
The Office of Procurement Services in Vienna purchases equipment and technical services for both field and headquarters work. For procurement related to field work, firms should fill out a Common Supplier Registration Form and return it to the Technical Cooperation Division.
Website: www.icao.int
The ICAO focuses on international cooperation in civil aviation. It funds a Technical Cooperation Program that provides experts, equipment and training for airline industry restructuring, flight operations and aviation and airport security, as well as air traffic management systems related to communications, navigation and surveillance.
The ICAO Technical Cooperation Bureau has a procurement section that purchases equipment and consultancy services. It uses international competitive bidding and maintains a list of registered suppliers that it invites to bid on ICAO requirements. It often implements civil aviation projects for other funding agencies including the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program.
Website: www.ilo.org
The ILO formulates international labour standards. It also provides technical assistance in vocational training, employment policy, labour administration, labour law and industrial relations, working conditions, management development, cooperatives, social security, labour statistics and occupational safety and health.
The ILO Procurement Section in Geneva oversees all ILO procurement procedures and facilitates the contracting of large orders. Field offices do the bulk of ILO procurement.
Website: www.unesco.org
UNESCO is an information-sharing centre for matters of education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communications and information. It maintains a technical cooperation program to help member states build capacity within its areas of expertise.
UNESCO programs are implemented through 27 cluster offices that are responsible for UNESCO activities in a grouping of member states; 18 national offices that look after programs in countries where UNESCO is very active; and 12 regional bureaux that manage regional programs.
UNESCO's Procurement Division provides procurement support to sectoral divisions at headquarters, related institutes and centres, and at all levels of field offices. The Business Opportunities website has detailed information about procurement rules and guidelines, including the selection of suppliers.
Website: www.un.org/depts/ptd/
The UNPS is the central purchasing service for the UN Secretariat, Peacekeeping Missions, Regional Commissions, International Criminal Tribunals and other UN special missions. The service procures a wide range of goods and services including air transport, information and communications technologies, office supplies and motor vehicles. UNPS carries out procurement using one of the following methods:
- a request for proposals for non-specific requirements;
- an invitation to bid for higher-value specific requirements; or
- a request for quotations for lower-value specific requirements.
Website: www.wipo.int
The WIPO promotes the protection of intellectual property throughout the world and works with its member states to encourage creative and innovative activity. It establishes international standards for intellectual property laws and practices, and provides registration services that allow patents, trademarks and designs to be protected in many countries.
The Procurement and Contracts Service (PCS) handles most WIPO procurement via solicitations from qualified suppliers maintained in its vendor roster.
Website: www.wmo.int
The WMO facilitates international cooperation in establishing networks of meteorological stations. It promotes the exchange and standardizing of meteorological information and the uniform publicizing of data. It has eight technical commissions that are responsible for atmospheric sciences, basic systems, climatology, hydrology, instruments and methods of observation and marine, aeronautical and agricultural meteorology.
Procurement for field projects is centralized under the Field Projects Procurement and Contracts Unit in Geneva, so suppliers should contact the Unit directly to market their products. If interested, the WMO will respond with a request for further pricing information and place the supplier on its internal roster.
Website: www.unops.org
UNOPS is an independent self-financing entity within the UN that provides project management services to other agencies, multilateral development banks, bilateral development agencies and developing country governments.
UNOPS is highly decentralized. The Division of Procurement Services in Copenhagen procures most goods and equipment, although regional offices and project offices also purchase some goods and equipment directly.
