Bangkok--Oct 26--UNISBKK
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has developed an Internet-based "Regional Resource Facility on Pro-Poor Public-Private Partnerships."
This facility will promote acquisition and transfer of knowledge through a network of organizations and institutions in the region that will collect information from initiators of innovative practices and upload it on the
resource facility.
The information will assist potential replicators/adapters in their
countries through information dissemination, training programmes and advisory services. Local governments, private sector corporations and in certain cases, non-governmental or civil society will participate in the programme. "As a strategic option, an increasing number of governments in the world are seeking to involve the private sector in the provision of public services. Public-private partnerships represent a flexible solution to the delivery of basic services. The concept has become increasingly attractive and is reflected in many global UN initiatives, such as the Global Compact, the Millennium Summit and, most recently, the outcome document of the World Summit on Sustainable Development," said a UNESCAP spokesperson.
"Many governments, in particular local governments, (and even private
companies) lack the capacity to negotiate public-private partnerships in public service delivery. Furthermore, because the private sector is by definition profit oriented, the provision of basic services to the poor is often excluded from the arrangement," he said.
One major reason for the lack of supply of basic services is the heavy
reliance on severely limited governmental resources for the provision of water, energy, health and biodiversity conservation, particularly to the poor.
The search for models that incorporate the provision of basic services for the poor in public-private partnerships need to be tested documented and
disseminated.
A series of workshops in the region are underway. The latest - Regional
Workshop on Knowledge Acquisition and Transfer in Pro-Poor Public Private
Partnerships - will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 25 to 27 October 2004.
All enquiries related to participation in the Meeting should be addressed to:
Mr. Yap Kioe Sheng, Chief
Poverty Reduction Section, UNESCAP
Rajadamnern Nok Avenue
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: (+66-2) 288 1600; Fax: (66-2) 288 1097
Email: [email protected] End.