Un Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in un, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Market Overview
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The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945 with one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security. Today the UN pursues this mission by working to prevent conflict, helping parties in conflict make peace, peacekeeping, and creating the conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish.

The UN is currently made up of 193 Member States, and its mandate is carried out through six main organs: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. The UN system also includes many affiliated programs, funds, and specialized agencies; all with their own membership, leadership, and budget. These programs and funds are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions. Specialized agencies are independent international organizations funded by both voluntary and assessed contributions.

The UN system spends nearly $20 billion annually for different types of goods and services. In 2019, total UN procurement spending was $19.9 billion, a 5.9 percent increase from 2018. Based on 2019 data, the six largest sectors for UN procurement are: 1) Pharmaceuticals, Contraceptives, Vaccines ($3.3 billion), 2) Transportation, Storage, Mail Services ($2.7 billion), 3) Food and Beverage Products ($2.1 billion), 4) Management and Admin Services ($1.8 billion), 5) Building and Maintenance Services ($1.4 billion), and 6) Engineering and Research Services ($1.1 billion).

In 2019, the UN system procured goods and services from 217 different countries, with 133 countries having an annual procurement volume of more than $10 million each. United States companies provided the largest share of UN procurement, capturing $1.7 billion or almost 9 percent of total spending, nearly a 6 percent increase from 2018.

The United Nations publishes a comprehensive annual report on the status of UN Procurement detailing expenditures by country sector and organization. This report can be accessed via the UN’s central procurement portal, United Nations Global Marketplace, at www.ungm.org.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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