UNECE International PPP Centre of Excellence: developing international PPP best practices and standards Tony Bonnici UNECE Workshop on “PPPs: a focus on Energy Infrastructure and Sustainable Growth” Venice, 9 May 2014 Contents • UNECE work on PPPs • Identifying best practices and developing standards – the work of the ICoE UNECE work on PPPs • Involved in PPPs for the past 15 years; • Intergovernmental process with strong private sector involvement - Team of Specialists on PPPs (will hold its sixth session on 23-24 June 2014 in Geneva); • Provided ad hoc policy advice, training and capacity-building to governments; • New initiative in 2012: the creation of the UNECE International PPP Centre of Excellence Why the ICoE? Challenges: • Difficult for countries to identify, design, finance and implement PPPs projects • Challenges remain despite efforts such as capacity building and PPPs units within governments • Need for clear, accurate information on models and procedures • Need to reduce time, costs and inefficiencies to prepare, structure and implement PPPs. Need to step up at global level with internationally recognised best practices and standards Objectives of the ICoE 1. Identify international PPP best practices and develop international PPP standards and recommendations; 2. Assist governments to successfully implement best practices and standards through the services of the Business Advisory Board; and 3. Encourage shared learning especially between countries new to PPPs and those with mature PPP programmes. ICoE structure • A small international hub in Geneva; • Network of Specialist Centres in countries; • The Business Advisory Board A new synergy between the United Nations and Multilateral Development Banks • United Nations with its power of convening identifying international PPP best practice models, focusing on upstream • MDBs implementing best practice models by financing projects downstream Specialist Centres • Hosted in countries on sectors (eg renewable energy Morocco) and practices (eg PPP policy, legislation and institutions); • Identify best practices; and • Take leading role in the development of standards. Business Advisory Board • Composed of 20-30 leading private sector experts; • Plays 2 key roles: 1. advise the ICoE on the elaboration of best practice and standards; and 2. assist member States with their implementation through consultative visits. Why standards? • Governments need certainty before selecting the PPP option; • Standards improve the quality of advice to governments; • Are a substitute for national best practices which have been unsuccessful in PPP knowledge transfer. Focus on United Nations development goals • Best practices and standards to focus on sectors with strong UN development objectives enshrined in MDGs…; • …and the post 2015 Development Agenda (SDGs); • Renewable energy, health, water and sanitation, ICT, roads, good governance. Standards in the pipeline • Standards to be developed: - Zero tolerance to corruption in PPP procurement; - A scheme to give certificates for government PPP agencies that comply with the standard - PPPs in the Health Sector UNECE International PPP Centre of Excellence website http://www.unece.org/ceciwelcome/areas-of-work/publicprivate-partnershipsppp/icoeppp.html UNECE PPP Team Thank you