Cormann (OECD): "Necessarie partnership pubblico-privato per aumentare il benessere economico e sociale delle società"

Mathias Cormann, Secretary General di OECD, in occasione del 7° Forum Mondiale di OECD sul benessere "Building Well-being for People and Planet: the Role of Public-Private Partnerships" ha dichiarato:

"Observation on the role that public-private partnerships can play in increasing economic and social well-being and equality of opportunity.
When it comes to increasing economic and social well-being, public-private partnerships can indeed be a powerful tool. They mobilize additional resources, leveraging private sector capital, expertise, and efficiency to fund and implement essential services and infrastructure projects that might otherwise be unattainable for government budgets. Public-private partnerships help improve access to quality, essential public services like healthcare, education, and transport, all of which are crucial for both economic and social well-being and for ensuring equality of opportunity.

By involving the private sector, public-private partnerships encourage innovation and efficiency. They introduce innovative practices and technologies into public services, often leading to more effective and efficient service delivery. This can reduce costs, improve service quality, and increase access, benefiting underserved communities in particular. If structured properly, these partnerships can also create jobs and build skills, fostering inclusive growth and sustainability while enhancing accountability and transparency in public service provision.

Indeed, the involvement of both public and private entities sharpens the need for clear reporting and outcome measurement, which in turn helps improve service delivery and its impact. Ensuring that public-private partnerships are well-designed and well-structured is essential to fully realize their potential benefits. This is why the OECD provides evidence-based analysis and advice, fostering ongoing policy dialogue to support governments in developing effective public-private partnership frameworks. Our Recommendation on Principles for Public Governance of Public-Private Partnerships provides practical guidance for policymakers on setting up these partnerships efficiently and effectively, including clearly defining risk allocation, prioritizing budget transparency, and ensuring sound procurement processes.

We will update this recommendation next year to reflect the latest global insights on governance of public-private partnerships, ensuring value for money in infrastructure projects, and strengthening governments' institutional capacity to manage and optimize these partnerships. Beyond our standards for public-private partnerships, the OECD also works directly with businesses to help them maximize their contribution to high-quality growth and improved well-being.

Our OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct, introduced nearly 50 years ago, encourage and support businesses in managing the impacts of their supply chains and making positive contributions to economic, environmental, and social progress. We updated these guidelines last year to include additional guidance on public integrity, lobbying, and alignment with international climate objectives. We also continue to release new thematic and sector-specific guidance to help businesses better understand their supply chains, boosting resilience and mitigating any potential negative impacts. This includes new due diligence guidance for responsible AI, which will support organizations in enhancing their AI risk management frameworks.

All of our policy standards, including those on responsible business conduct, are developed in close consultation with our Business and Industry Advisory Committee at the OECD, which provides valuable insights into the evolving business environment and the impact of policies on growth and investment. The OECD is also actively engaged in key international business initiatives focused on well-being. As part of the Business for Inclusive Growth Coalition, initiated by the French G7 presidency in 2019, we have provided our latest evidence and analysis to support new guidance on how businesses can contribute to the green transition, living wages, and employee well-being.

We are also partnering with the Council for Inclusive Capitalism, a coalition of companies committed to advancing the interests of workers and stakeholders. This partnership includes the development of standards for reporting on human capital and human rights. Additionally, we are contributing to the Task Force on Inequality and Social-Related Financial Disclosures, launched this September, which is developing a global framework to help companies understand and report on their impacts and their role in generating opportunities for people.

We look forward to continuing our work with the business community and governments worldwide to create a policy environment that enables the private sector to make the greatest possible contribution to high-quality growth, improving living standards and well-being. Together, we have the tools—from public-private partnerships to better data on well-being and best practices for responsible business conduct—to make this happen."