8 April 2014: A group of civil society organizations convened a public forum on “The Privatization of the Post-2015 Development Agenda – Issues and Challenges in Partnerships with the “Private Sector,'” on 8 April 2014, in New York, US.

Sergio Rodriguez, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN, said decreased public financing alongside increased needs of the public sector has resulted in a portrayal of public-private partnerships (PPPs) as the “silver bullet” solution for transforming societies. He said the OECD is considering a redefinition of ODA to include not only contributions from governments but also investment and market-based interest rates. He stressed the need for a mechanism that enables the participation of Member States in the decision-making process when it comes to PPPs: “Simple informative reports are no longer sufficient,” he said.

Roberto Bissio, Social Watch, focused on the semantics of development, arguing that “privatization” has been replaced by PPPs, and “structural adjustment programmes” have become “poverty reduction plans.” He also noted a shift from “enabling environment” for development to “enabling environment” for business. In addition, “private sector” now means “corporate sector” and leaves out SMEs and family enterprises, which provide the great bulk of jobs, but are absent from the negotiating table. He called for a mechanism for governance of partnerships and for strong regulations to ensure transparency, accountability and evaluation.

Bhumika Muchhala, Third World Network (TWN), suggested points for further debate: How will the socialization of losses and privatization of profits, as well as the fiscal risks of such projects, be addressed? What kind of infrastructure is being prioritized through PPPs, and who will they serve? Will such partnerships decrease the role of national producers and companies, particularly by outsourcing procurement for goods and services?

The event was co-organized by Bread for the World, the Campaign for People’s Goals, the Center for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESR), General Board of Church and Society-UMC, Global Policy Forum, IBON International, Misereor, Social Watch and TWN. It took place the day before the Joint Event of the UN General Assembly and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on ‘The role of partnerships in the implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.’ [Event Webpage] [IISD RS Sources]