ROME - The United Nations World Food Programme and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees have set up an independent service - UN FLEET - to help their sister UN organizations lease the vehicles they need for operations all around the world.
The new service, which operates independently, builds on WFP and UNHCR's experience in setting-up vehicle leasing schemes. It helps organizations optimize their fleet by advising them on the right vehicle models for their operations and then taking care of the entire procurement, vehicle preparation and shipping process.
UN FLEET officially started operations on 4 October as UNFPA and UNICEF signed global service agreements for vehicle leasing. The two organizations' offices across the world will now be able to lease vehicles directly from UN FLEET, through its online portal.
"These agreements between UNFPA, UNICEF and UN FLEET are an example of United Nations entities finding ways to work more effectively together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and, on behalf of WFP and UNHCR, we are pleased to leverage our expertise for the benefit of the wider UN community and the people we serve," said Manoj Juneja, WFP Deputy Executive Director, Management and Chief Financial Officer.
The UN System collectively operates more than 30,000 light vehicles globally and the new initiative is a concrete step towards streamlining the process of procuring and managing those vehicles throughout their lifecycle. Managing the different fleets in a safe, efficient, and sustainable way will in turn lead to cost reduction, lower emissions, and increased road safety.
"UN FLEET is a great example of partnership in action and how both qualitative benefits and quantitative efficiency gains can be reached when we work together as one in the UN" said Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner at UNHCR.
The ongoing implementation of the UN Reform programme, and specifically the focus on cost efficiencies, is pushing all UN Agencies and Programmes to pursue more cost-efficient support services. By reducing the duplication of functions and administrative and transactional costs through the consolidation of fleet services, UN FLEET is a tangible UN Reform initiative providing support across the United Nations system towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UN FLEET, which is backed by a team of technical experts from both agencies, and managed through a user-friendly digital interface - the UN Fleet Portal. Additional benefits such as full insurance for loss and damage to the vehicle and optional field worthy accessories are also provided by UN FLEET. After a 60-month lifecycle, UN FLEET decommissions the vehicle and provides a replacement vehicle to the client if needed.
Over the past year, UN FLEET has been engaging with a wide range of UN agencies for the provision of leasing vehicles and fleet services. That engagement has included discussions with each agency on its needs, ambitions and operational opportunities or constraints. From these discussions, agency specific roll-out plans were being developed.
