November 11, 2024
UNOPS Deputy Executive Director Sonja Leighton-Kone, Senior Advisor Simonetta Siligato, and South Asia Multi-Country Office Director Charles Callanan visited the construction site of the new SACEP Headquarters building during their recent mission to Sri Lanka. SACEP Director General Norbu Wangchuk and representatives from SACEP and the PLEASE Programme office in Colombo joined the delegation.
In the final stages of construction, the officials could review the building’s progress and engage with the engineering team, whose expertise has been instrumental in realizing this project. Expressing her thoughts, Ms Sonja commended the team's collaborative spirit and highlighted the intergenerational, diverse workforce—including female engineers—contributing to the project’s success.
Director General Wangchuk emphasized the building’s eco-friendly design and shared his enthusiasm about its opening, envisioning it as a cornerstone for SACEP’s mission to support a greener South Asia.
Through the partnership between UNOPS and SACEP, supported by the World Bank, SACEP’s capacity to implement the PLEASE Project has been significantly strengthened. As a result of this significant partnership, the new SACEP Headquarters is now in its final stages of completion. SACEP, a regional leader in environmental protection, addresses critical issues such as climate change and environmental degradation. The imminent completion of the building underscores SACEP's commitment to sustainable infrastructure and regional collaboration, thereby contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and establishing a more resilient, eco-friendly future for South Asia.
