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Add to Preferred SourcesUnited Nations (UN) organizations spent $19.9 billion on goods and services in 2019, according to a new report published by UNOPS on behalf of the UN system.
The 2019 Annual Statistical Report on UN Procurement analyzes the combined annual UN spending on goods and services. It shows that the UN’s procurement increased by 5.9 percent, or $1.1 billion, compared to 2018.
Pharmaceuticals, contraceptives, and vaccines constituted the largest procurement category for the ninth consecutive year and continued to increase in 2019. The UN spent $741 million on medical equipment in 2019, almost a quarter more than in 2018.
“The COVID-19 crisis has once again highlighted the utter importance of procurement in ensuring healthy, sustainable and resilient societies. As our world responds to and recovers from this crisis, effective and efficient procurement practices are key, as underlined by this report,” Grete Faremo – Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director.
The report also sheds a light on continued efforts to integrate sustainability considerations into the UN’s procurement processes. Over 97 percent of organizations reported including environmental sustainability as the main consideration in their procurement processes while economic and social considerations also grew.
Enhancing opportunities for developing and transitioning economies is key to delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In 2019, UN procurement from developing countries, countries with economies in transition, and least developed countries reached an all-time high, $12.3 billion – compared to $11.7 billion in 2018 – representing more than 62 percent of total UN procurement. This includes $3.9 billion procured from least developed countries – an 11.4 percent increase compared to 2018.
The United States remained the largest supplier country in 2019, providing $1.7 billion of goods and services to UN organizations. Four developing countries – India, Kenya, United Arab Emirates and Yemen – were among the top ten supplier countries in 2019, with a combined procurement value of $3.4 billion. This represented 17.1 percent of total UN procurement for 2019, up from 15.8 percent last year.
Read the full report: Annual Statistical Report on UN Procurement 2019.
Original source: UNOPS
Published on 09 July 2020