The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Strengthening public management in Latin America and the Caribbean

Fair public management – of projects, procurement processes and infrastructure works – is vital for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

On the sidelines of European Development Days in Brussels, UNOPS Executive Director, Grete Faremo, and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, signed a new Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations that aims to promote the continuous improvement of public management.

The agreement represents a commitment from both sides to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending, while reducing opportunities for corruption – across Latin America and the Caribbean, through a coordinated approach.

“UNOPS is focused on the implementation of projects to build better public services and improve public management,” said Ms. Faremo.

We bring our expertise to challenges where transparency, effectiveness and efficiency are critical. This agreement is a valuable opportunity to provide further support to the improvement of public management in the region.”

Grete Faremo - Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director

"I am very excited about the partnership with UNOPS. This is about public finance, managing public expenditure, and empowering the institutions. When governments save money by making the correct use of procurement policies and implementation, they can then reinvest it in social policies," said Ms. Bárcena.  

Improving public management helps generate cost savings for governments that can be invested in other areas based on national needs. It can positively impact the structural causes of exclusion, inequalities and poverty by generating improvements in the quality of public goods and services.


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