On 30 May 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) co-hosted a seminar on “Doing Business with the United Nations” held at Vithes Samosorn, MFA. Mrs. Eksiri Pintaruchi, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, delivered the opening remarks, and also in attendance were Thai entrepreneurs, as well as representatives from the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Industries.

Building on the success of its predecessors, this 3rd seminar with UNESCAP aimed to provide an opportunity for the Thai private sector to better understand the process of entering into business partnership with the United Nations and its agencies through the UN procurement process. Partnering with the UN could help strengthen the competitiveness of Thai companies and increase their regional and global market access. This seminar also emphasized key sectors of current demand at the UN, namely, ICT, fuel, air transport, building and construction as well as food and catering.

During the seminar, participants gained useful tips and information about the registration process for the United Nations Global Market Place (UNGM), which is the UN procurement portal (https://www.ungm.org/) that lists existing procurement opportunities at UN agencies around the world. Speakers from the UN also provided advice on market trends and opportunities in the Asia and the Pacific region, as well as in the rest of the world. Four Thai companies were invited to share best practices in partnering with the UN. For example, Modernfrom Group and Image Furnitech Company shared their experiences as the winners of furniture contracts at UNESCAP in Bangkok and the Economic Commission in Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa. Another highlight of the seminar was the one-on-one session between interested Thai vendors and UN procurement officers. Thai vendors had a direct opportunity to introduce their goods and services, as well as to enquire further about rules and recommendations from the relevant UN officers. The seminar promoted a better understanding about the UN procurement process, especially its high standard on regulations and requirements, transparancy and value for money.

According to the latest Annual Statistical report on United nations Procurement – ASR) in 2021, the total of the UN Secretariat procurement volume was around 29.6 billion US dollars, with goods and services in the health sector being the most purchased, mostly due to COVID-19. Statistics from UNESCAP in 2022 showed that the UN Secretariat procurement with Thai suppliers amounted to around 31.3 million US dollars. This is an increase of around 18.9 million US dollars from the previous year, with building and construction being the largest contributors.