The United Nations Office for Project Services
(UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful
implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development
projects around the world. Mandated as a
central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project
management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of
governments, donors and United Nations organizations. With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80
countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management
knowledge they need, where they need it.
By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given
time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in
the most challenging environments.
Background AUMCO:
The Austria Multi-Country Office
(AUMCO) was set up in August 2019 as a part of the UNOPS Europe & Central
Asia Region (ECR). Specifically, AUMCO aims to enable achievement of Agenda
2030 and the Paris Agreement through global programmes and tailored
interventions in the Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, focused on:
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Infrastructure
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Procurement
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Project Management (full service, back on track)
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HR and Transactional Services
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Grant Management
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Technical and Advisory Services
Project Background:
UNOPS, through ECR AUMCO, is
partnering with the Government of Albania and the European Union, as well as
with the UN system, to facilitate the post-earthquake rehabilitation and
reconstruction of a large number of key cultural heritage sites, museums, and
cultural hubs and to promote tourism and economic development of the sites.
On 26 November 2019,
Albania was hit by its most deadly earthquake in a century. The earthquake
measured 6.4 on the Richter scale and caused significant casualties and
property damage, resulting in 51 deaths, over 1000 injured, and nearly 14,000
people displaced. To measure and assess the economic damage, a Post Disaster
Needs Assessment (PDNA) was conducted, estimating the total economic losses at
nearly EUR 1Billion.
The PDNA documented the
destruction of public and private infrastructure. Of particular concern was the
destruction of cultural heritage monuments and property, as 53 cultural
heritage properties were significantly damaged by the earthquake. This project
seeks to remediate the effect of the earthquake on Albania’s cultural heritage
through the rehabilitation of monuments, as well as contribute to Albania’s
socio-economic recovery through the construction and upgrade of these sites. It
will be important also to support improvements in the capacity of institutions
responsible for the management of these cultural monuments and sites to better
accommodate tourism. A final outcome of the project is the effective
communication of project results to the wider public and developing and
implementing an advocacy platform resulting in better recognition of the
important role of culture in the social and economic well-being of Albanian
citizens.