Engaging the Private Sector in the Global Compact Initiative through the Procurement Operations of the United Nations Office of Project Services
The goal of the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), the largest service provider in the United Nations system, is to enhance management of project resources in support of the UN Mission of peace and development. The UN's Global Compact Initiative (GCI) aims to encourage corporations to align their practices and policies with internationally accepted values and objectives in human rights, labor standards, and the environment. The Capstone team was asked to develop a plan of action that identifies viable options to incorporate the principles of the GCI into the operations of the Legal and Procurement Division of UNOPS. Phase One of the project examined UNOPSs procurement operations and guidelines, other international procurement processes, and the GCI, to identify best practices. Since the GCI engages its clients on a voluntary basis, issues of awareness, enforcement, compliance, reward systems, and ethical questions were explored in the action plan.