Foreign Minister Brende congratulates Grete Faremo on appointment as head of UNOPS

‘I would like to congratulate Grete Faremo on her appointment as Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). I am pleased that Norway will now hold the top position in a UN organisation that is so important for the UN’s development work in poor countries,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

UNOPS is a self-financing organisation with activities in 80 countries and over 6 000 employees who provide assistance to the authorities and development organisations such as the World Bank and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in the areas of procurement, infrastructure development and capacity building.

‘As a small country, yet major contributor to the UN, Norway attaches importance to increasing the number of Norwegians who are recruited to UN organisations. As Executive Director of UNOPS and Under-Secretary-General, Ms Faremo will take part in the UN Development Group, and will have a unique opportunity to promote change at the highest level,’ Mr Brende said.

In the past few years, UNOPS has seen a significant rise in demand for its services, which places considerable responsibility on its new leader.

‘Ms Faremo has extensive experience of both politics and business and I am confident that she will contribute to efforts to improve the efficiency of UN operations at country level. Her previous experience as Minister of Defence is particularly relevant, as the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations is one of UNOPS’s most important partners and as UNOPS is actively engaged in countries affected by conflict,’ Mr Brende said.