Policies and Regulations
Procurement Manual
The United Nations Financial Regulations and Rules, as promulgated by Secretary-General's Bulletin ST/SGB/2013/4 dated 1 July 2013, govern the procurement functions of the United Nations with the Delegation of authority in the administration of the Staff Regulations and Rules and the Financial Regulations and Rules governed ST/SGB/2019/2 dated 17 December 2018.
The Procurement Manual is intended to provide operational guidance on procurement policies and procedures to all staff members involved in the various stages of the procurement actions conducted by the UN in all offices and all locations, and is not intended to be exhaustive.
In view of constant changing procurement practices and technology, the Procurement Manual is subject to periodic updating and refinement by the Organization, as and when necessary.
The United Nations reserves the right to make exceptions to the provisions contained in the Procurement Manual, if and when necessary, and in the best interests of the Organization.
Disclaimer
Translations of the English version of the Procurement Manual into other languages are intended for convenience only and are not legally binding. In case of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the English version and its translations in other languages, the English version shall prevail.
The United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations strongly encourages all vendors to participate actively in the Global Compact. This initiative fosters responsible corporate citizenship and promotes universal social and environmental principles to address the challenges of globalization, involving both the private sector and other social actors.
The Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact
The Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact are derived from: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
Please visit the United Nations Global Compact website for further information
Human Rights
Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Labour
Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Environment
Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
Anti-Corruption
Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
 |
 |
 |
The Application Process
There are two different types of applications: Business Application and Non-Business Application.
Business Applicants who are eligible to join the UN Global Compact fall under the following definitions:
- Company: Any legal entity engaging in business, such as a corporation or partnership, with at least 250 full-time direct employees and/or any state-owned companies.
- SME (Small and Medium Enterprise): Same as a Company but with less than 250 employees. Companies are required to have at least one direct employee and active operations.
| Step 1 | Review the Application Guidelines for a detailed step-by-step guide to the Business Application joining process. |
| Step 2 | Prepare a Letter of Commitment addressed to the UN Secretary-General and signed by your company's highest-level executive (or equivalent) committing to implement the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, take action in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and submit an annual Communication on Progress (COP). |
| Step 3 | Complete the Online Application Form and upload a digital copy of the Letter of Commitment signed by the highest-level executive. The name of the highest-level executive who signed the Letter of Commitment must correspond with the entry name in the online registration form. |
Non-Business Applicants who are eligible to join the UN Global Compact fall under the following categories:
- Academic Institutions
- Business Associations
- Cities and Municipalities
- Civil Society Organizations
- Foundations
- Labour Organizations
- Public Sector Organizations
- Corporate Social Responsibility Organizations
| Step 1 | Review the Application Guidelines for a detailed step-by-step guide to the Non-Business Application joining process. |
| Step 2 | Prepare a Letter of Commitment addressed to the UN Secretary-General and signed by your company's highest-level executive (or equivalent) committing to implement the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, participation in the activities of the initiative where feasible and submit a biennial submission of a Communication on Engagement (COE). |
| Step 3 | Complete the Online Application Form and upload a digital copy of the Letter of Commitment signed by the highest-level executive. The name of the highest-level executive who signed the Letter of Commitment must correspond with the entry name in the online registration form. |
Please refer to the United Nations Global Compact website for detailed application instructions by visiting the “Application Process” section.
UN Supplier Code of Conduct
Companies doing business with the United Nations are required to accept and comply with the UN Supplier Code of Conduct.
The Code of Conduct informs Vendors of the following:
- that they are expected not to engage in corrupt practices.
- that they must disclose information on any situation that may appear to present a conflict of interest.
- that the UN has a zero-tolerance policy and does not accept any type of gift or any offer of hospitality.
- Post-employment restrictions may apply to UN staff in service and former UN staff members who participated in the procurement process, if such persons had prior professional dealings with suppliers. UN suppliers are expected to refrain from offering employment to any such person based on the Secretary-General’s bulletin ST/SGB/2006/15.
The bulletin describes the post-employment restrictions as follows:
Any United Nations contractor or vendor of goods or services who offers employment, hires or otherwise compensates staff members in violation of the provisions of the present bulletin may, after review by the Organization, be subject to having its registration as a qualified contractor or vendor with the United Nations barred, suspended or terminated, in accordance with United Nations procurement policies and procedures.
Code of conduct
Please use the links below to view or download Rev.07 of the UN Supplier Code of Conduct, which was issued by the High Level Committee on Management – Procurement Network in September 2024.
In the event of any discrepancies between the updated English version of the Supplier Code of Conduct and the existing translations of the previous version, the updated English version shall prevail until the translations are finalized.
Conditions of Contract
The following United Nations General Terms and Conditions of Contract are annexed to the UNPD contract documents as appropriate and form an integral part of the contract documents.
General Conditions of Contract
General Conditions for Aircraft Charter
Forms
Sample documents of Contracts and Agreements
Prepared by the Procurement Division are provided below for information.
Annexes
Below are links to the Annexes "List of UN entities" and "List of UN Field Missions". These lists are an integral part of UN systems contracts and are referred to therein.