The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Sustainable Development Cluster

Sustainable Development Cluster

To support the UN Common Agenda and the important role the private sector can play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, SDC pursues collaborations with philanthropic organizations with a global outreach.

SDC provides support in the following areas:

  • Advisory services for environmental, social and governance (ESG) project funding, proof of concept, and sustainability mainstreaming.

  • Project preparation facilities to enable ESG project preparation.

  • Fund management for ESG projects.

UNOPS Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports the United Nations Secretariat and other New York-based partners by providing a range of services for global programmes. Our support, including technology and grant management services as well as for development and special initiatives, spans around 125 countries.

Technology Support Services

UNOPS Technology Support Services portfolio delivers technology- and innovation-focused project services to various UN and non-UN partners at regional and country levels. Supported by the New York Portfolio Office, more than 400 personnel work within programme implementation teams around the globe, including from UN offices and mission locations in Finland, Italy, Somalia, Spain, Thailand, Uganda and the United States.

Grant Management Services

UNOPS Grant Management Services is the organization’s one-stop-shop for managing programmes and projects through community interventions and development finance. This includes small community-level grants that foster local capacity building and economic development. UNOPS manages more than $200 million, with more than 200 environmental experts spread across more than 120 countries.

Development and Special Initiatives

UNOPS Development and Special Initiatives team works with UN partners and Member States based in New York. The portfolio provides support to the multiple initiatives and priorities of the UN Secretary-General for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda as well as to the UN Secretariat in the implementation of global programmes in the field of political affairs and peacebuilding, among others.

More information

  • Technology Support Services

    Provides various UN partners with project teams, consisting of more than 400 experts to advise and support them in technology- and innovation-related services and initiatives, including data science, supply chain management, cyber security, hybrid cloud platform management.

    Key partners:

    • Executive Office of the Secretary-General and its UN Global Pulse initiative
    • UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
    • UN Development Coordination Office
    • UN Global Service Center
    • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

  • Grant Management Services

    Partnered with the UN Development Programme for the Small Grants Programme, which provides grant funding to projects that benefit local community organizations, including grassroot initiatives, women-focused organisations, indigenous people and other marginalized communities across more than 120 countries. These grants focus on a range of environmental issues, including biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land degradation and sustainable forest management projects, among others. 

    Key partners:

    • UN Development Programme's Bureau for Policy and Programme Support 

    • UN Development Programme's Nature, Climate and Energy)

    • UN Member States

  • Development and Special Initiatives

    Provided project management and human resource expertise and support to the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Team, which aims to build coalitions and mobilize action to fight climate change. Further collaborated with UN agencies in support of global programmes and campaigns.

    Key partners:

    • Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM) partners

    • The Group of 77

    • UN South-South Cooperation

    • UN Department of Political Affairs

    • UN Development Programme

    • UN Member States

    • UN Peacebuilding Support Office

    • UN Secretariat

  • Contact details

    Sustainable Development Cluster

    10 Grand Central

    155 East 44th Street,14th Floor

    New York, New York 10017

    USA

    Tel: +1 212 245 71800


    UN Technology Support Services: nielsg@unops.org 

    Grant Management Services: edrissr@unops.org  

    Development and Special Initiatives: isabellav@unops.org


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