Statement on Sustainable Energy for All’s partnership with the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS)

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has been working in partnership with the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) since our establishment as an independent legal entity in 2016. As part of this partnership, UNOPS provides support on several operational functions, including the management of funds from some of our donors, the contracting of SEforALL personnel, and the management of some procurement and travel. In return for these administrative services, UNOPS charges management fees that are calculated on the basis of the value of funds managed through UNOPS, and the value of transactions performed. These fees are agreed between SEforALL and UNOPS on an annual basis. The partnership between the two organizations is articulated in a multi-year framework agreement signed in June 2016 and running till December 2024, as well as in individual donor contracts and grant agreements that are managed by UNOPS on SEforALL’s behalf.

Independently from UNOPS, SEforALL also manages funding directly through our own legal entity (a Quasi-International Organization with charitable status registered in Austria) and through the United Nations Foundation which acts as a United States-based 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor for some of our philanthropic donations.

SEforALL retains full oversight of the funds managed on our behalf by UNOPS, working with UNOPS to report to relevant donors regularly based on comprehensive financial reports and as part of our own annual financial reporting and audit process. SEforALL also undertakes an annual audit of its consolidated financials and financial statements, the scope of which also covers funding managed through UNOPS on behalf of SEforALL.

UNOPS has recently been the subject of a number of media reports alleging mismanagement of funds related to its S3i impact investing initiative, and we understand that these allegations have prompted the United Nations to now undertake an independent investigation. We are in close contact with UNOPS on its response to the allegations and investigation, and we also refer readers to the statement on UNOPS web site on this matter.

Please direct any questions on this matter for SEforALL to Sameer Ahmad at Sameer.Ahmad@SEforALL.org. For questions to UNOPS please refer to the online statement linked above.

Last updated: May 10 2022