July 5-6 – Geneva

PPAF Leaders Attend UN Global Compact Leaders Summit

Chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, over 900 representatives of corporations, business networks, governments, NGOs, UN agencies, and others from around the world came to Geneva to discuss good business practices in relation to the Global Compact’s ten principles (on labor, human rights, environment and anti-corruption measures), to report on actions taken and planned, to network, and to devise public-private initiatives.  PPAF team members gained much from exposure to the concerns and accomplishments of other in efforts to strengthen corporate social responsibility and sustainable development under the theme “Facing Realities:  Getting Down to Business.”

The Leaders Summit adopted a 21-point Geneva Declaration which spells out concrete actions for business, governments and Global Compact participants. 

The meeting gave PPAF leaders -- normally based in Miami, New York, and Antananarivo -- a chance to begin planning for infrastructure development in Madagascar that would incorporate Global Compact principles, to discuss fish farming, cacao and ethanol investment projects in the Dominican Republic, and PPAF involvement on the social side of a special economic zone project in Haiti.

July 2-5 – Geneva

Global Partnership for Development Stressed at Economic and Social Council High-Level Segment

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which serves as the central UN forum for discussing international economic and social issues and for formulating policy recommendations, held the high-level segment of its 2007 substantive session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The theme this year was strengthening efforts at all levels to promote pro-poor sustained economic growth, including through equitable macro-economic policies and through the global partnership for development.  

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon presented to ECOSOC the Millennium Development Goals Report 2007, which provides an overview of progress at the MDG mid-point of implementation.  The Millennium Declaration set 2015 as the target date for the eight Goals.  Speaking at the opening of the ECOSOC, the Secretary-General said “We must convert the ‘Global Partnership for Development’ into more than a catchy slogan, and turn it into fact, so as to address the most pressing development issues of our day, from climate change to trade and aid.”  This sentence summed up the concern and purpose for PPAF presence at the sessions.

During the Annual Ministerial Review, Ambassador Andrianarivelo gave a Statement which introduced a joint letter to the President of ECOSOC from the Permanent Missions to the UN of Madagascar and Dominican Republic-- see E/2007/81.  The letter described the creation and work of PPAF, its importance to the formation of partnerships against poverty, and its relevance to the deliberations of the Council.  Also see Ambassador Andrianarivelo’s Statement as an archived video from the afternoon session of July 4th. 

Ambassador Lorenzo spoke also, during the open dialogue on pro-poor growth on the first day of ECOSOC.  See his presentation as an archived video from the afternoon session of July 2.

In a side-event, Daniel Mejia and David Stillman were invited to participate in an informal policy dialogue on “The role of Civil Society, Legislative Bodies and other Stakeholders in Promoting Improved Aid Quality.”  This was chaired by Mr. K. S. Jomo, Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and was an excellent opportunity to advance the relationship between PPAF and UN/DESA.

At the conclusion of the High-level Segment ECOSOC adopted a Ministerial Declaration (E/2007/L.13)  on poverty reduction and partnerships.  Of special interest to PPAF, paragraphs 41-45 of the Declaration address the roles of private sector, public sector, public-private partnerships and innovative sources of financing for development.

Photos By: Herintsalama Rajaounarivelo

June 28-30 – Geneva

Public-Private Issues Prominent at Civil Society Development Forum 2007

Over 600 participants from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attended this Forum, with its theme “A Platform for Development:  Countdown to 2015.”  Organized by CONGO and chaired by its President Ms. Renate Bloem, the Forum’s numerous noted speakers addressed plenary and workshop sessions for discussion of global issues and to help shape NGO participation at the High-level Segment of ECOSOC.  Ambassador Lorenzo and Dr. Stillman were featured speakers in a plenary session on pro-poor growth, chaired by Ms. Jo Elizabeth Butler, Head of the Intergovernmental Affairs and Outreach Service and Secretary of the Trade and Development Board of UNCTAD.  (See Lorenzo statement and Stillman statement.)   Ms. Butler invited PPAF to participate in UNCTAD XII, in Accra, Ghana in April 2008. 

As part of his presentation Lorenzo announced plans for the MDG Awards Event and invited nominations and participation from CONGO and its members.  William Ho displayed the prototype award and Bloem offered support and networking of CONGO for the event.  Butler similarly offered networking from UNCTAD. (See further information below.)

In his presentation Stillman described the work of PPAF and, as one part of that, alerted CONGO members to the NGO Aggregated Purchasing Program for discounted prices for office supplies and banking services.    Interested groups should contact hwalters@bidgive.com. 

Lorenzo and Stillman emphasized public-private partnerships again in a panel on multi-stakeholder cooperation that was chaired by Ambassador Ilari Rantakari of Finland, on behalf of the Helsinki Process on Globalization on Democracy.  Led by the Governments of Finland and Tanzania, the Helsinki Process promotes the idea that governments, civil society, the business community, international organizations, academia and the media can together play a major role in accelerating thinking on global problem solving and on implementing global commitments.   Rantakari invited PPAF to explore further the possibility of association with the members of the Helsinki Process.

CONGO invited Lorenzo and Stillman to participate in a post-Forum luncheon event on July 2, entitled “Interactive Dialogue on Pro-Poor Growth and the Eradication of Poverty and Hunger.”  Lorenzo was one of three ambassadors asked to speak during the dialogue. The event was co-chaired by Ambassador Walter Furst, Director-General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Mr. Jose Manual Salazar-Xirinacha, Executive Director of Employment, ILO, and co-hosted by the Governments of Mexico and Finland.  The participants focused on the outcome of the Civil Society Development Forum and its potential for influencing the deliberations at the Council’s High-Level Segment.

The overview report of the Civil Society Development Forum, read out at its closing session, included a prominent reference to the importance of the private sector and of multi-stakeholder partnerships and  cited PPAF as an example.  The report stated:  "Much more work needs to be done to engage the private sector so that it adopts the highest ethical standards in promoting pro-poor sustained economic growth and equitable economic policies.  One possible channel, presented during this Forum, is the Public-Private Alliance Foundation.  We cannot ignore the business sector:  civil society can perhaps influence and inspire its leaders, its shareholders, its investors, to achieve, as Wahu Kaara put it "Life before Profit."

Photos By: Herintsalama Rajaounarivelo and Carol M. L. Jan

June 26-29 – Vienna

PPAF a Private Sector Sponsor of the 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government  

Ambassador Lorenzo participated in the 7th Global Forum, which had as its theme “Building Trust in Government.”  He chaired the Workshop on Managing Knowledge to Build Trust in Government. The Global Forum was organized by the Division for Public Administration and Development Management of UN/DESA, and chaired by its Director, Mr. Guido Bertucci.  The workshop was convened by UN/DESA in partnership with the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs of the Republic of Korea and the Dubai School of Government. 

More than 3,000 government officials from around the world attended the Global Forum, held at the UN headquarters in Vienna.  The Vienna Declaration adopted focused on several areas which need urgent action for a better government-people interaction, including betteraccess to information and communication technology, support for effective civil society engagement, and more public-private partnerships.

PPAF was also a private sector sponsor of the Global Forum.  All participants received a conference bag with the foundation’s logo and website to hold handouts and publications.  In addition to name recognition this sponsorship was a first step in PPAF collaboration with the UN Division.  Discussions took place toward the next step, which would be preparation of translations of the UN Public Administration Network (UNPAN) on-line training course “E-government – What a Government Leader should Know”, to help open opportunities for government officials from Spanish and French-speaking countries.

June 30-July 5 – Geneva Meetings

PPAF Announces and Gains Support for MDG Awards Telecast

A major feature of PPAF participation in the Geneva meetings was the opportunity to describe plans for the MDG Awards Telecast and to display the crystal prototype award, which had been created by William Ho, the internationally-renowned Canadian artist.  Ho and his wife Carol M. L. Jan joined the PPAF team to meet with a number of participants at the Geneva events.

To promote greater public awareness of the UN Millennium Development Goals, BidGive International, working with PPAF, is developing a major global telecast in 2008 to honor the work of those striving to achieve them.  The lead coordinator of this project is Mr. Michael Jacobson of BidGive International. 

Designed to educate the global public about the internationally-agreed goals and their importance, the telecast will provide global recognition to individuals, organizations, communities, corporations and countries for their contributions.  Special categories will acknowledge the work of NGOs affiliated with the United Nations, UN Global Compact participants and signatories to the Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI).  Nominated countries will have the opportunity to provide entertainment to help publicize their national culture. 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, head of the Columbia University Earth Institute and the Millennium Promise Alliance, each embraced the Awards concept and offered their support as the program develops.   So also did CONGO President Renate Bloem and UNCTAD senior official Jo Elizabeth Butler (see above).  The PPAF team also introduced the idea and prototype award to Mr. Yiping Zhou, Director of United Nations Special Unit for South-South Cooperation, and to Mr. Sarbuland Khan, Executive Coordinator of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development. They expressed great interest in collaborating to promote the event and in helping to identify candidates for recognition. 

Future newsletters will cover in greater depth the plans now developing for the MDG Awards event.

Photos By: Carol M. L. Jan; formal portrait of prototype award, William Ho