Public-private partnerships (PPPs) – or public-private alliances (PPAs) - are receiving increasing amounts of attention. There is broad acknowledgement across the public and private sectors that sustainable solutions to serious development issues require collaboration.  Additionally, the current economic conditions create an intensified desire to mitigate risk and to share resources and expertise.  Under President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton, the U.S.

  …and other sights and sounds from the Millennium Development Goals Inclusive Business Event and Awards

More than 1000 representatives from corporations, NGOs and governments gathered in San Francisco last week for the annual Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) conference.  The long-standing conference covered 4 days this year, beginning with pre-conference trainings on Tuesday and carrying through Friday with a series of keynote speakers, group panels, working sessions, and networking events.  As a rookie attendant, I found the event exhilarating and was particularly enthralled by two sessions that incorporated public-private partnerships.

The Obama Administration has signaled that partnerships are a key component of our foreign policy.   President Obama said in a speech at the Clinton Global Initiative on September 22nd, “Today’s threats demand new partnerships across sectors and across societies—creative collaborations to achieve what no one can accomplish alone.

"...I’m here today to announce that the State Department is opening its doors to a new generation of public-private partnerships. We will expand current partnerships and embark on new ones. We’ll embrace collaboration and become more receptive to the ideas and approaches that you will bring to us. And we want to deploy the full range of tools available..." -Secretary of State Hilary Clinton at the Global Philanthropy Forum (April 22, 2009) Source: US Department of State