UN, business community in Ethiopia hold discussion on enhancing collaboration for efficient procurement, leveraging Africa continental trade

The UN in Ethiopia has organized a business seminar that brought together more than 150 business entities with a view to familiarizing local vendors in Ethiopia with the procurement procedures of the UN system and facilitating efficient delivery of goods, work, and services.

The seminar was organized by Common Logistics and Procurement Working Group of the UN Operations Management Team (OMT) in partnership with the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association (AACCSA). 

The seminar aimed to promote active participation of local vendors and provide them the opportunities to do business with the UN in the country by addressing the complex issues surrounding a range of steps and processes that are required to be met by the vendors. 

Samson Challa is owner and manager of a films and audiovisual productions company in Addis Ababa. Samson was one of the local vendors who attended the seminar.

Recounting his initial experience of doing business with the UN, Samson said, “my first encounter with the UN as a local vendor was not easy, because I did not know the procedures and requirements that should be met by a vendor while doing business with the UN system.”

“Fortunately, my client was very supportive to help me go through meeting the requirements, including submitting a number of legal and official documents and filling out different forms. Nevertheless, my experience with the UN system over the past years was smooth. I believe the steps at the initial stage of my engagement paved the way for professional business relationships with the UN entities and effectively make use of opportunities offered by the UN,” he said.

The seminar helped facilitate the exchange of experience and good practices between UN Agencies and local vendors like Samson and representatives of government entities and professional associations on effective policies and approaches which enhance collaboration and identify common challenges and solutions at an early stage in the procurement process.

The UN entities and AACCSA also used the seminar as a platform to increase the awareness and understanding of the potential vendors and suppliers on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by providing an overview of the AfCFTA Agreement, its objectives, and the steps to be taken by the private sector to be ready to trade under the agreement.

The seminar also addressed issues raised by the participants on AfCFTA, underlining the need to foster networking opportunities among vendors, suppliers, and relevant stakeholders to encourage collaboration and partnerships conducive to leveraging AfCFTA benefits.UN, business community in Ethiopia hold discussion on enhancing collaboration for efficient procurement, leveraging Africa continental trade

The UN in Ethiopia has organized a business seminar that brought together more than 100 business entities with a view to familiarizing local vendors in Ethiopia with the procurement procedures of the UN system and facilitating efficient delivery of goods, work, and services.

The seminar aimed to promote active participation of local vendors and provide them the opportunities to do business with the UN in the country by addressing the complex issues surrounding a range of steps and processes that are required to be met by the vendors. 

Samson Challa is owner and manager of a films and audiovisual productions company in Addis Ababa. Samson was one of the local vendors who attended the seminar.

Recounting his initial experience of doing business with the UN, Samson said, “my first encounter with the UN as a local vendor was not easy, because I did not know the procedures and requirements that should be met by a vendor while doing business with the UN system.”

“Fortunately, my client was very supportive to help me go through meeting the requirements, including submitting a number of legal and official documents and filling out different forms. Nevertheless, my experience with the UN system over the past years was smooth. I believe the steps at the initial stage of my engagement paved the way for professional business relationships with the UN entities and effectively make use of opportunities offered by the UN,” he said.

The seminar helped facilitate the exchange of experience and good practices between UN Agencies and local vendors like Samson and representatives of government entities and professional associations on effective policies and approaches which enhance collaboration and identify common challenges and solutions at an early stage in the procurement process.

The UN entities and ACCSA also used the seminar as a platform to increase the awareness and understanding of the potential vendors and suppliers on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by providing an overview of the AfCFTA Agreement, its objectives, and the steps to be taken by the private sector to be ready to trade under the agreement.

The seminar also addressed issues raised by the participants on AfCFTA, underlining the need to foster networking opportunities among vendors, suppliers, and relevant stakeholders to encourage collaboration and partnerships conducive to leveraging AfCFTA benefits.