8th Istanbul PPP Week Communique

Thank you to all

On Friday the 8th of March the 8th Istanbul PPP week concluded. This prestigious event is the highlight of the annual global PPP calendar of gatherings. As co-chair of the event I would like to thank everyone who participated and all the silent heroes who labored behind the scenes to produce an event that went smoothly.

Conference Communique

The following communique was released at the closing event.

Between the 5th and 8th of March, 2024 the 8th PPP week was held in Istanbul.? This annual event was initiated by DEIK and the Istanbul PPPCOE and supported by “Invest in Turkiye” and The Republic of Turkiye’s Ministry of Trade. The overall theme of the event was greener global sustainable growth through Public-Private Partnerships. WAPPP and its many delegates were valuable collaborating participants in the conference that was attended by representatives from 32 country delegates and 28 public and private sector organizations.[1] UNECE also participated as a valued stakeholder.

For the first time, PPP awards were presented for outstanding PPP project achievements at the conference.? Three project specific awards for outstanding projects were awarded. They included an award for the ?best ESG project deal for the Eurasia Tunnel Project; the best Small-PPP project in Kyrgyzstan for healthcare diagnostic centers; and the best Social PPP project which went to Qatar for its school program package.

The coming together of PPP practitioners from across the whole world created a forum that encouraged the exchange of ideas in numerous sessions which addressed current challenges facing the implementation of PPP projects.? This exchange of ideas was beneficial to the delegates who on numerous occasions expressed their happiness with ideas which were shared.? Although the conference was upbeat, there was also an underlying somberness that acknowledged that the world is at a climate change crossroad and that an innovative and more flexible approach to PPPs which acknowledges sustainability, resilience and adaption strategies is critical to the success of future proofed projects. It was also acknowledged that philanthropy has an increasing role to play in the implementation of future PPP projects.

Numerous speakers acknowledged that there is a global consensus that we are not achieving past commitments made to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This reality led to calls for a paradigm shift that looks at ways that the public and private sectors can better deliver projects that are focused on achieving a common good. For a new generation of PPP practitioners to be successful, the need for improved institutional capacity building and new prioritized approaches to PPPs is necessary so that the huge pool of untapped resources can be mobilized to implement PPPs across regions and across all levels of government.

There is a realization that size does matter when it comes to implementing PPPs that are accessible to all. Numerous speakers were passionate about the need for a new focus on “Small-Scale PPPs” which can reach communities at levels that are generally ignored.? It is these small-scale PPP projects that have the greatest potential to impact lower-level communities that have not been considered to date. A small-scale PPP initiative is being driven by WAPPP in partnership with UNECE and the PPPCOE to fill the development gaps that large scale PPP projects have not addressed.

Project risk was also discussed by speakers who stated that risk is more than an abstract idea and that mechanisms need to be introduced that can result in the sharing of information that will lead to the implementation of more impactful projects. It was pointed out that AI has a large role to play in the development of new strategies that can support the emerging paradigm shift that is facing implementers of PPPs.

Numerous implementation recommendations were made by conference participants in the quest for greener global sustainable development.? They include the following: (1) the need for effective implementation of PPPs that address climate mitigation and adaptation; (2) the need to develop implementation frameworks that embrace small-scale PPP project developed through a global consensus in the world of PPP practitioners: 3) the need to empower all members of society, especially women, when it comes to decisions on the focus, content and nature of PPPs.

As we move forward to addressing PPPs in international forums it is increasingly important that PPP practitioners, thought leaders, and institutions consider how they can influence the planners of events such as COP29 to give greater attention to leveraging international development though better PPP approaches.? This aspiration is a stated objective of next year’s conference. The PPPCOE intends to amp up its leadership role in innovative PPP delivery strategies through its 2025 annual PPP conference which will take place in an offsite venue and approach similar to the annual Davos gathering.? This “Davos” approach will require the engagement of all participants from both the public and private sectors. This will necessitate the participation of more influential bureaucrats and private sector leaders who can become champions of greener global best practices when implementing future proof PPPs.

As we close the conference today on Women’s International Day, the PPPCOE and its partners would like to thank the visionary support of the Government of Turkiye for making this event possible.? We would also like to thank the speakers who are passionate about finding ways to deliver sustainable and resilient PPP projects.? It is be remiss to not acknowledge the participants form the 32 countries whose participation made the event so successful. We look forward to next year’s conference which will become the “Davos” of the PPP world.

Dr. Eyup Vural AYDIN

Dilek Bakus

David Baxter

WAPPP | World Association of PPP Units & Professionals

International Sustainable Resilience Center

UNECE Public-Private Partnerships

[1] Countries included Indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic, Belarus, Montenegro, Maldives, Kosovo, Tunisia, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Mali, Cameroon, Algeria, Senegal, Turkmenistan, Mauritania, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Nigeria, Somalia, Poland, Morocco, Malaysia, Jordan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.