尊敬的申卫华 副主任

尊敬的张翼 副主任，

尊敬的孔福安 副主任，

尊敬的金俊峰 副区长，

Ms. Samina Kadwani, from UNOPS

各位来宾,  早上好！

欢迎大家参加在中国举办的第二届联合国国际采购大会。
遗憾的是，我们今年仍然无法相聚上海。

Since we convened last year, the world has continued to face a confluence of crises that threaten a livable and prosperous future on this planet. 

The COVID-19 pandemic endures, hurting economies. Food and energy shortages fueled by conflict has driven up inflation, creating the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation[1] .  All while the climate emergency endangers ecosystems, further threatening lives and livelihoods, hitting the world’s poorest the hardest.

With just eight years left to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals - which represent our best chance of building a green and just future for all - we must urgently draw on every tool available.

Adopting sustainable procurement practices is one such tool.

By linking public procurement with sustainable development outcomes and aligning public spending with national government objectives, we can not only generate value for money but also benefits for society, the economy and minimize environmental damage.

As the largest development agency in the UN system, UNDP currently procures more than US$3 billion worth of goods and services each year. These ensure that developing countries have access to life-saving medicines, emergency relief supplies and a host of other much-needed items.

Embedding sustainability across our procurement operations is a crucial part of our commitment to supporting sustainable development.

This means that strengthening our suppliers’ social and environmental credentials is crucial.

Since the launch of the Sustainable Procurement Project, we have made substantial progress in supporting SMEs and women-owned businesses (WOBs) to lower their carbon footprints, align with sustainable best practices and enhance their participation in the international procurement market.

We have also been able to register 200 local SMEs and WOBs on the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM) as a first step to doing business with the United Nations. And by identifying and translating over 300 suitable UN tenders into Chinese, the project has facilitated higher market engagement of local businesses.

Today’s event is a key opportunity to further connect UN organizations with even more SMEs and WOBs, increase the diversity of our suppliers and share resources on how businesses can switch course to more sustainable practices.

I’d like to therefore thank the Qingpu District People’s Government, CICETE and all the chambers of commerce, industry associations and UN agencies involved in organizing this conference.

By working together, we can help make sustainable procurement the standard and play a pivotal role in meeting the aspirations of the 2030 Agenda.

Thank you!