In order to focus on attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in African nations, the United Nations (UN) is moving its Africa projects management organization to Nairobi.
The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) will relocate to Nairobi, which also serves as the UN's southern hemisphere headquarters.
Even though UNOPS, a self-financing organization, has its Africa Regional Office located under the same roof as its global headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, it frequently carries out projects in crisis-hit nations all over the continent, particularly those that are at war or going through a time of conflict.
It executes projects on behalf of other UN agencies or programs and collects fees from them in exchange for building facilities, buying supplies, and administering UN initiatives, particularly those that are in line with the SDGs. The establishment's regional office in Nairobi, according to a statement, will improve the organization's ability to help its partners across the continent.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, the executive director of UNOPS, said the regional office is getting closer to where it is needed when he was in Nairobi.
“This move will reinforce our capacity to support our partners in Africa to ensure our work effectively reduces inequalities, builds sustainability, and supports African countries in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts,” he said according to a statement from his office.
UNOPS was founded in 1973 as a component of the UNDP, but it broke away in 1995 to concentrate on autonomous operations where it offers services to the UN system for a charge.
Since Kofi Annan served as UN Secretary-General, it has been the leading project entity in conflict zones in Africa. It manages a portfolio of $3 billion in yearly development projects that often entail building social infrastructure like schools and hospitals, constructing makeshift shelters for displaced people, and purchasing emergency response tools for pandemics like Ebola and Covid-19.
“This move makes us more agile in our ability to respond to peace and security, humanitarian and development needs across the continent. From our new base in Nairobi, we look forward to supporting our partners to deliver on the SDGs in the African region,” said UNOPS Africa Regional Director Ms. Dalila Gonçalves, who is also among UN officials touring Nairobi this week.
Before the end of the year, the UNOPS said, the relocation of its Africa Regional Office to Nairobi will be complete.
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