UNOPS is pleased to invite to the first UNOPS Sustainable Procurement Symposium on the future of professions linked to procurement and supply chain management. On March 17, 2014 procurement leaders from across the public and private sectors will come together at the UN City in Copenhagen to share their views on future trends and challenges in this professional field. This event will provide you with a platform for networking and knowledge exchange as well as with the opportunity to actively participate in a concluding panel discussion. The event is aimed at professionals and students, but is open to everyone and free to attend. You can also participate in the event through a live webcast. Registration in advance is necessary as places are limited. Register now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sustainable-procurement-symposium-tickets-10452761491

For more information please visit www.unops.org/symposium or contact us at procurement.symposium@unops.org.

Call for Papers: Thematic Report on Procurement for Innovation

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, helping a range of partners implement over $1 billion worth of aid and development projects every year. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the capacity of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

The Annual Statistical Report on United Nations Procurement (ASR) provides data and analysis on the goods and services procured by the United Nations in support of its operations. This report has a very wide circulation among the Member States of the United Nations, private companies and academics, and the UN procurement community itself. The ASR will be accompanied by a thematic report that will explore the topic of Procurement for Innovation.

UNOPS invites contributions to the 2013 Annual Statistical Report on United Nations Procurement Thematic Supplement: Procurement for Innovation. The report will showcase papers from practitioners and researchers that take up this topic and contribute new and useful insights through original research or relevant case studies. Contributions can focus on any aspect related to the use of public procurement to drive innovation. Authors that have insight and experience with procurement and innovation in developing countries are strongly encouraged to submit a paper.

Interested authors are invited to submit short articles, in the form of research papers or case studies. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, April 20, 2014. For more details, please download the Call for Papers here: http://bit.ly/1kXveUm. Feel free to forward the Call for Papers to interested colleagues or partners.