Jorge Moreira da Silva, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director will be in Asia as outlined below:

• In Thailand, he will participate in high-level meetings at the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Bangkok. He will also speak at the Devex Impact House. Among other areas, the meetings will focus on the impact of disruptions in key chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Black Sea and Bab-al-Mandab on global food security including in Asia, as well as trade and supply chains. As chair of the UN taskforce on the Strait of Hormuz, Mr. Moreira da Silva will highlight how the United Nations can support confidence-building measures to avert humanitarian crises. 

• In Nepal, he will meet with government officials to reaffirm UNOPS support for the people and the government of Nepal in the reconstruction and recovery efforts through expertise in resilient infrastructure, procurement and implementation. He will also visit Nuwakot district, which was heavily affected by the floods and mudslide of 26 August 2026. More than 1,400 bodies have been recovered so far. Over 5,000 people are still missing. The flash floods have impacted many more people in Nepal in one way or the other, including through the damage to the country’s hydropower generation capacity. The World Bank estimates reconstruction needs at nearly US$4.8 billion, making recovery an enormous challenge. The impact of the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has made recovery even more difficult. Even before the flash floods hit, the construction and manufacturing sector in Nepal had seen huge price hikes. More recently, on 11 October, fresh flash floods washed away houses and bridges in Nepal's central Gorkha district. 

• In the Philippines, the Executive Director will visit the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where UNOPS work with the EU on a programme on peace, conflict resolution, governance and human rights. This follows recent parliamentary elections, a critical milestone in the peace process, transitioning power from an interim authority to a democratically elected region, and a potential role model in conflict resolution. 

ENDS

About UNOPS

UNOPS offers practical solutions across peace and security, humanitarian and development operations. We help the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way.

UNOPS ongoing support in countries to be visited includes: 

• In Nepal, UNOPS focuses on supporting resilient infrastructure, disaster recovery, public procurement, inclusive community development and gender equality, in collaboration with international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, the European Union and UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. UNOPS works with the government of Nepal to build gender-responsive and climate-resilient public open spaces, rehabilitate and citizen service centres and support initiatives to increase women’s representation in the police force.
   
• In the Philippines, UNOPS focuses on strengthening governance, healthcare, nutrition, sustainable infrastructure and disaster response preparedness. Currently, one of its most significant areas of support in the country is on peace and transition in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). In partnership with the European Union and national institutions including the Supreme Court, UNOPS delivers technical support, procurement, and project management. Initiatives like the SUBATRA programme help build and rehabilitate climate-resilient infrastructure, such as public offices and community centers to promote institutional transparency and stability.