Operational excellence for results that matter

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The European Commission and UNOPS

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Photography credits:Jamal PenjwenySamir DelićDominic D. Marcellene Kike Calvo Marc Lee Steed

The European Commission and UNOPS

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Partnering with the European CommissionUNOPS supports a broad range of European Commission (EC) programmes around the globe, from the construction of roads and bridges to the promotion of human rights and livelihoods for the most vulnerable.

UNOPS is providing infrastructure, project management and procurement services to support EC efforts to promote sustainable development in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America and Caribbean regions. In addition, UNOPS has provided logistical, security and administrative support for Election Observation Missions in Afghanistan, Guinea, Peru, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nicaragua and Kenya. In November 2008, UNOPS signed a Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA) with the European Union (EU) that facilitates cooperation between the two institutions. Under this framework, UNOPS has implemented projects with the Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation (DEVCO), the Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), and the Directorate General for Enlargement (ELARG). Examples of work include transitional shelter construction in Haiti and Sri Lanka as well as projects that facilitate UN and international NGO access to Palestine. Furthermore, ECHO recently supported UNOPS emergency response work in South Sudan.

Democratic Republic of the CongoThe Linking Relief Rehabilitation and Development programme is designed to combine relief and development efforts with the support of the European Fund for Development. The rehabilitation of the main road between Kisangani, a major port city on the Congo River in the middle of the country, and the fertile Eastern Congo is essential for the flow of people and the delivery of goods and services between the two regions. After the successful reconstruction of five bridges and the 252 kilometres Kisangani-Lubutu road ended in 2010, the EU requested that UNOPS ensure the maintenance of 425 kilometres of road linking three eastern provinces from Kisangani and Lubutu to Walikale.

Iraq Detainees in Iraq remain vulnerable to poor prison conditions and other human rights violations. In addition, individuals who have suffered torture and other forms of violence are often unable to get the psychological and medical help they need. The programme for the Protection of Detainees and Torture Victims, funded by the EU and implemented by UNOPS, has been working to address these issues in a range of ways.

Between 2008 and 2011, the programme provided over 1,300 detainees with free legal services, including legal representation in court, and processed over 2,600 hotline calls for legal consultations in 17 Iraqi governorates. It also trained around 520 prison staff on the humane treatment of prisoners and provided over 4,600 men, women and children with rehabilitation services for problems resulting from torture and violence.

By working directly with lawyers, doctors, psychotherapists, police officers, detention centre staff, Iraqi authorities and NGO workers, the programme has increased dialogue and cooperation between Iraqi civil society and public authorities on the situation of prisoners and on combating torture.

Operational excellence for results that matter

A woman receives therapy from an outreach team of the Kirkuk Centre for Victims of Torture. The programme for the Protection of Detainees and Torture Victims is funded by the EU and implemented by UNOPS. Photo: Jamal Penjweny

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KosovoThe UNOPS Kosovo office is supporting efforts to promote reconciliation within Kosovo and between its ethnic groups. On behalf of the EC, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and the Government of the United States of America, UNOPS provided management and administrative support to a project that hired nearly 500 judges and prosecutors in an effort to strengthen the rule of law in Kosovo. The project supported the establishment of an independent judiciary and prosecution service to administer Kosovo’s justice system professionally and transparently, building public confidence and trust in justice and the rule of law. UNOPS also administered merit-based vetting in the selection of judges and prosecutors.

Kosovo is expected to receive a large number of detainees from different European countries as part of repatriation agreements being signed. On behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement, UNOPS is helping to improve the prison system in Kosovo, building the capacity of authorities to cope with this potential increase. The objective is the construction of one high security prison with a capacity for 300 detainees, built to international standards.

Through funding from the Government of Kosovo and the EC, UNOPS is also managing a Trust Fund to conduct a national population and housing census in Kosovo. In addition, with the same partners UNOPS is managing the Trust Fund of an agricultural census project in Kosovo.

SerbiaThe European Partnership with Municipalities Programme (EU-PROGRES) is a joint action of the European Union, the Government of Switzerland and the Government of Serbia, to improve living conditions and socio-economic development in the south and southwest Serbia, the poorest and most underdeveloped regions in the country. EU-PROGRES helps municipalities improve their infrastructure, increase the quality of services that they provide to citizens and businesses, modernise their work in line with the principles of good governance, and promote their development. EU-PROGRES works in line with the Government of the Republic of Serbia’s efforts to support the equal development of all regions, reform local governance and integrate the country into the European Union. UNOPS is managing an initial budget of € 18.1 million on behalf of the programme.

In Serbia, UNOPS also supports the Sustainable Waste Management Initiative for a Healthier Tomorrow (SWIFT 2) and the EU Hospital Information Systems (EU HIS) projects funded by the European Union. Recently, UNOPS has also been appointed to implement the Belville Roma Housing project on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement.

MyanmarUNOPS is the Fund Manager for the multi-donor Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) established in Myanmar in 2009. The donors to LIFT are Australia, Denmark, the European Union, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The donors have so far contributed more than $160 million. UNOPS has also provided fund management services to another multi-donor initiative, The Three Diseases Fund (3DF), which aimed to reduce the human suffering caused by HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB) in Myanmar. A consortium of donors, comprised of the EC and the governments of Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, established the pooled funding mechanism as a simple and transparent instrument to finance a nationwide programme of activities to reduce the transmission of HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria, and enhance care and treatment through access to essential drugs and related services. 3DF-financed projects targeted those most at risk, with a particular focus on people with limited access to public health services due to geographic or security constraints, or because of discrimination based

Operational excellence for results that matter

An EU PROGRES street event in Novi Pazar, Serbia. UNOPS is managing the EU-PROGRES programme, which is a joint action of the European Union, the Government of Switzerland and the Government of Serbia, to improve living conditions and socio-economic development in Serbia. Photo: Samir Delić

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on factors such as ethnicity, gender or financial status. In 2012, UNOPS was selected as the Fund Manager for the 3DF’s successor, the Three Millennium Development Goals Fund (3MDG). Activities focus on maternal and new-born health care but also include continued support for the three diseases, complementing the support provided by the Global Fund. To increase country ownership and sustainability, a third component will support efforts to strengthen the Myanmar health system. The total size of the new fund is currently expected to be around $300 million.

NicaraguaUNOPS is currently managing a project in two Departments of Nicaragua, which aims to enhance the integrated management of river basins. The project is funded by the EU and executed in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and FUPADE, a local NGO. Strengthening the participation of local communities and authorities in the management of water resources is key to achieve the sustainable use of this natural resource, reduce the effect of natural disasters and ensure food security. The establishment of River Basins Management Committees and the approval of evidence-based integrated management plans are amongst the key outcomes of the initiative, which will also work with small producers in changing their production pattern towards more environmentally-friendly technologies.

PalestineImproving the resources of the Palestinian Civil Police is essential to maintaining public order and security within the Palestinian National Authority territory. UNOPS managed the renovation of the existing Police Training Facility in Jericho under projects coordinated by the European Union Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS). The facility, which could previously only support 150 male cadets at one time, was refurbished and upgraded and can now take 520 cadets of both sexes.

New additions include accommodation for male and female cadets, training buildings such as an auditorium and classrooms, as well as a new parade ground and a traffic training area. The project also refurbished the four existing campus buildings and boundary fences, and provided new infrastructure for water, sewage, electricity and irrigation. Additionally, the design contains environmental benefits such as the on-site treatment of waste water that can be re-used in washing facilities and for soil irrigation. The upgrades were funded by the EC as well as the governments of Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The EC and a number of EU member states are also supporting a procurement component of the project, to provide vehicles and communications equipment to the police force. The programme, coordinated by EUPOL COPPS and implemented by UNOPS, is part of larger international efforts to reinforce the rule of law and to strengthen the security sector and judicial reforms throughout the West Bank.

Also in Palestine, ECHO and UNOPS are continuing to work together in their support for the Access Coordination Unit. The unit works to coordinate and consolidate efforts undertaken by UN agencies, international NGOs and diplomatic missions to address restrictions in the movement of their staff and supplies into Palestine, and to support the relevant authorities to conduct the task of access.

PakistanOn behalf of the Delegation of the EU to Pakistan, UNOPS assisted with the procurement of non-military, counter-terrorism goods and services for civilian law enforcement agencies in Pakistan. The overall objective was to procure equipment and services that increase the performance of bomb disposal units within the provincial police units of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provinces.

Operational excellence for results that matter

Technical staff examining watershed information charts under the Rio Coco Project, which is funded by the EU and managed by UNOPS. Photo: Kike Calvo

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UNOPS provided procurement services for the acquisition of non-lethal bomb disposal equipment, including a fully-equipped bomb disposal vehicle, a bomb disposal trailer with a robot, a portable X-ray device and two sets of bomb disposal suits and helmets. This equipment will increase the capacity of these police units to detect, handle and dispose of improvised explosive devices, resulting in increased public safety and greater public confidence in the police.

Sri LankaThe 2004 tsunami rendered thousands of Sri Lankans in the Ampara district isolated, vulnerable and without sustainable livelihoods. The EC-funded Community Access Programme was established to rehabilitate and construct up to 400km of durable and paved all-weather roads, as well as to replace and rehabilitate bridges and drainage structures throughout the region. The programme included the maintenance of 250km of road surfaces by rural councils throughout the district. UNOPS Sri Lanka was the implementing partner of the programme, which has provided three million days of work for the local population. It also improved access to services that are fundamental to growth and poverty alleviation.

Another notable initiative funded by the EU, the Environmental Remediation Programme, focused on improving solid waste management throughout the region, improving surface water and urban storm-water drainage, and planting trees in roadside, coastal and mangrove regions of the Ampara district. UNOPS directly implemented much of the project in cooperation with local authorities and communities.

In selected districts of North and East Sri Lanka a programme for support to reconstruction and development is facilitating the transition from post-conflict relief to recovery and development. Components of the programme include the provision of basic infrastructure and services to vulnerable populations, support for local economic development, the strengthening of local governance and poverty reduction. Among a range of UN organizations implementing the programme, UNOPS is responsible for the solid waste management components and drainage, sewerage and waste water systems in three districts in North and East Sri Lanka. The programme will be implemented in four years starting in 2013, has a budget of €14.5 million and will involve national, provincial and local authorities.

Support to European Union Election Observation MissionsElection Observation Missions (EOMs) promote democracy and human rights in the framework of larger cooperation with partner countries. Transparent elections are essential to effective democracy, and the presence of observers during the election process is a way to ensure transparency and strengthen the democratic process. The presence of an EOM reduces the possibility of fraud, manipulation, and intimidation, and improves the legal framework for the conduct of future elections, as well as public confidence in institutions. UNOPS has been providing logistical, security and administrative support for Election Observation Missions in Afghanistan, Guinea, Peru, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nicaragua and Kenya.

Operational excellence for results that matter

School children participating in waste education in Sri Lanka, under the EU-funded Environmental Remediation Programme, which is supported by UNOPS. Photo: Dominic D. Marcellene

6, Rond Point Schuman1040 BrusselsBelgium

Tel: +322 234 6361Email: info@unops.orgwww.unops.org

Operational excellence for results that matterBrussels Liaison Office