Thorsten, Here's the text for Issue 7 (remember no dates attached to issues now). Can you make it live on the web page for me please. Jen **************************************************************************** *********************** PPP NEWS **************************************************************************** *********************** Issue No.7 UNDP's Public Private Partnerships for the Urban Environment (PPPUE) Programme is pleased to present the 7th issue of the Global Learning Network's Public Private Partnership Newsletter (PPP News). This informative newsletter is available to all members of PPPUE's Global Learning Network, an open community for those interested in increasing the access of the urban poor to basic services through sustainable public private partnership. PPP News covers a wide range of current information on PPP for the Urban Environment including current events, publications, project news and vacancy announcements, information which will be invaluable to the PPP practitioner and researcher alike. PPP News is produced in partnership by the UNDP Public Private Partnerships for the Urban Environment programme (PPPUE) and the Yale University School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. **************************************************************************** *********************** Please send contributions and feedback: mailto:pppue@yale.edu. **************************************************************************** *********************** Become a Member Of The GLN Community & Receive the PPP Newsletter by E-mail! Instructions at the end of this issue of PPP News Issue 7: Table of Contents (1). NEWS FLASH! - Second UNDP-Yale University Collaborative Learning Programme on Public Private Partnerships to commence in January 2002 - Training Initiatives by the Institute of Public Private Partnerships (IP3) - Launch of UNDP's PPPUE Website - PPPUE Consultant Roster is now online Please also visit the PPPUE web-site at http://www.undp.org/pppue (1). EXPERIENCES OF INNOVATIVE PPP PROJECTS. - Millennium Dome given away in profit-sharing deal. - Public-Private Partnerships Are Key to Fighting Disease. - Public Private Partnership and AIDS prevention. - West Bengal bid to tap private funds for core, services sectors. - PPP News from South America. - New Partnership To Ward Off Potential Water Wars. Please also visit the PPPUE Project Database at http://pooh.undp.org/maindiv/pppue/app_projects/index.cfm (2). NEW PUBLICATIONS. - 2001 PPIAF Annual Report. - Trend of success of public-private partnerships. - India Infrastructure Report 2002 released. - Managing the Relationship to Secure Successful Partnerships in PFI projects. - Framework for Public Private Partnerships - Public-PrivatePartnerships: Factors to Consider When Deliberating Governmental Use as a Real PropertyManagement Tool. Please also visit the PPP Publications Database at http://pooh.undp.org/maindiv/pppue/app_documents/index.cfm (3). UPCOMING EVENTS: WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES. - Second European Congress on Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure. - The Dubai International Award For Best Practices To Improve The Living Environment. - Deregulating and Privatising Asia Power. - Project Finance and Public Private Partnerships in France. - Institutional Changes in the Urban Water and Sanitation Sector -Risks and Opportunities. - Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities: Conference, Exhibition and Award Programme. Please also visit the PPP Publications Database at http://pooh.undp.org/maindiv/pppue/app_events/index.cfm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- (1). NEWS FLASH! (a) Second UNDP-Yale University Collaborative Learning Programme on Public Private Partnerships to commence in January 2002. The principle mechanism to develop and promote UNDP's Global Learning Network on PPPUE has been a Distance Learning (DL) programme, designed by the PPPUE Management Unit together with the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (FES), Yale University. The DL programme, which links various centres of learning excellence in a select number of countries, seeks to foster the evolution of a "global forum" comprised of officials of local municipalities, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, and academia (as well as members of civil society) working towards the establishment of PPPs as a means of solving local urban environmental problems. The objective being that such a network would not only discuss and analyse the effectiveness of PPPs (as hitherto experienced in developed countries), but also help shift the focus of international discussions on PPP to the needs of developing countries. Following the success of the first Distance Learning Programme on Public Private Partnerships in 2001, UNDP and Yale University are currently in the process of finalizing logistical arrangements for the second course commencing in January 2002. The School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University will lead the new Collaborative Learning Programme, together with partner centres of learning excellence in the Philippines, India, Ukraine, Ghana, Peru, and China to name a few. In order to both prepare for this initiative, and following the completion of the first DL programme cycle in May 2001, UNDP's PPPUE Management Unit and Yale University recently conducted a highly successful workshop for key instructors of the 2001 program. The objective of the workshop was to discuss lessons learnt from the implementation of the 2001 DL programme and formulation of a plan of action for strengthening the course and the GLN further. For additional information, please contact the PPPUE Management Team (email: peter.grohmann@undp.org) or Brad Gentry at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University (bradford.gentry@yale.edu). (b) Training Initiatives by the Institute for Public-Private Partnerships (IP3). The Institute for Public-Private Partnerships (IP3) offers international training initiatives and advisory services in infrastructure and utility development, investment, regulation, and social sector reform. Since its inception, IP3 has been working closely with public and private sector clients from emerging markets, trying to develop and implement applicable public-private partnership solutions to strengthen economic stability and promote private investment in such sectors as water, environment, sanitation, energy, telecommunications, e-government, transport, pensions, health, and education. We pride ourselves on our highly skilled experts and trainers of international caliber, who possess years of experience providing practical guidance to governments around the world from setting proper policy objectives for privatization to completing private sector transactions. To learn more about IP3 or to subscribe to their free monthly e-newsletter about public-private partnerships around the world, visit the IP3 homepage at www.ip3.org or email IP3 at training@ip3.org. (c) UNDP's PPPUE Website. UNDP's Public-Private Partnership Unit's On-line Website is now online at http://www.undp.org/pppue. Users are able to make use of a number of online resources to better understand Public-Private Partnerships and their relative strengths and weaknesses in the provision of basic services to the poor in developing countries. A highlight of the PPPUE website is the Unit's Global Learning Network (GLN) Programme, a virtual network of institutions and individuals that is open to anyone interested in sharing knowledge on public-private partnerships. Through this exchange, policy guidelines and training materials are developed to help governments learn from the experience of others and apply these lessons locally. Resources available to users of the PPPUE website include (a) a Projects Database- for information on past and on-going Public-Private Partnership projects including contact information (http://pooh.undp.org/maindiv/pppue/app_projects/index.cfm); (b) a Virtual Library - containing a variety of documents on public-private partnerships, including PPPUE Unit's publications, papers from the PPPUE/Yale University collaborative initiative (http://pooh.undp.org/maindiv/pppue/app_documents/index.cfm); (c) Conference Papers from the (a) Berlin Conference, held on October 23-27, 2000, in Hannover and Berlin, Germany; (b) Bonn Conference 1999 held on November 9-10, 1999; (c) Lima Workshop 1998 held on 9-11 December 1998 and Internet Conference held at Yale University in 1997/98 (http://www.undp.org/pppue/gln/conference.htm); (d) PPPUE Working Paper Series including (a) Public-Private Cooperation in the Delivery of Urban Infrastructure Services - Options and Issues; and (b) Joint Venture Public-Private Partnerships for Urban Environmental Services (http://www.undp.org/pppue/gln/workingpapers.htm ); (e) Case Studies on (i) "Favourable Policy and Forgotten Contracts: Private Sector Participation in Water and Sanitation Services in Stutterheim, South Africa"; (ii) "Just Managing: Private Sector Participation in Solid Waste Management in Biratnagar, Nepal"; (iii) "Establishing and Implementing a Joint Venture for Water and Sanitation Services in Cartagena, Colombia"; (iv) "Preparing a Concession: Working towards Private Sector Participation in Water and Sanitation Services in Gweru, Zimbabwe"; and (v) "The Cordoba Water and Sanitation Concession, Argentina" (http://www.undp.org/pppue/gln/case.htm); and (f) Web Links to other institutions engaged in PPPs (http://www.undp.org/pppue/gln/links.htm). For further information, please contact staff of PPPUE-UNDP: Email: jenny.rigby@undp.org (d) PPPUE Consultant Roster. PPPUE is working towards building a registry of consultants for short-term positions to assist in the development and implementation of its' country level activities. Working in close consultation with UNDP Country offices and PPPUE's Management Unit, the consultants will be responsible for providing advise on the development of National Programme design, facilitate a participatory process for programme implementation, advise on policy, legal and financial reforms required to implement the programme successfully, undertake capacity building on PPP for local governments, private sectors and communities, as well as monitor and evaluate programme implementation and develop tools to assess the programme's impact. In order register in the Consultant Roster database, please go to http://www.undp.org/pppue/gln/ppp-opportunities.htm. (2). EXPERIENCES OF INNOVATIVE PPP PROJECTS. (a) Millennium Dome given away in profit-sharing deal. Source: Financial Times (London). December 19, 2001. Ministers in the UK have given away the Millennium Dome in return for a share of the profits generated by a sports and property consortium, the government confirmed yesterday. Lord Falconer, minister responsible for the troubled Greenwich attraction, announced that the government would enter a 25-year public-private partnership to turn the Dome into a sports and entertainment arena surrounded by homes and offices. However, the consortium picked by the government, Meridian Delta, has not yet handed over a penny for a 999-year lease for the Dome and the 150 acres of valuable land round it. The Dome has been given away but Meridian will pay cash for the land in stages, with the earliest installment due once planning permission is granted in about 18 months. The government will be given a share of the profits the group makes from property development and the sports arena, but not until the end of 2004. Meridian, backed by the property developers Quintain Estates and Lend Lease, has linked up with Phil Anschutz, owner of the LA Lakers basketball team, to develop a 20,000-seat arena inside the Dome. It plans to build homes and offices on the 150 acres around the attraction. The government hopes that if the venture is successful, Pounds 500m will be handed back to taxpayers over about 25 years. It said the private sector would invest Pounds 4bn in the Greenwich peninsula, including Pounds 200m in the Dome itself, but officials were evasive when asked if the public purse would contribute extra money. By S. Daneshkhu and C. Newman, Financial Times (London) (b) Public-Private Partnerships Are Key to Fighting Disease. Source: Council on Foreign Relations, Inc., November, 2001 / December, 2001. Public-private partnerships involving governments, foundations, private companies, and non-governmental organizations have proven to be valuable allies in fighting the infectious diseases and epidemics that ravage the world's poorest and most vulnerable communities. Pharmaceutical companies have been prominent in these efforts, donating medicines and other resources to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and opportunistic infections associated with AIDS. Although debate continues about the appropriate organization and scope of the fight against infectious disease, consensus prevails on one key point: drugs alone are insufficient in the absence of strengthened healthcare systems and changes in health behaviors. The International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) was among the first public-private partnerships to link prevention with treatment in developing countries, while building the infrastructure necessary for sustained improvement in public health. Founded by Pfizer Inc and the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, ITI works toward the elimination of trachoma, the world's leading cause of preventable blindness. In addition to its programming for applied research and communications, ITI supports national efforts to eliminate trachoma through implementation of the "SAFE" strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial hygiene, Environmental change) recommended by the World Health Organization. Based on fifteen years of research supported by the Clark Foundation, the SAFE strategy addresses the medical, behavioral, and environmental requisites for eliminating trachoma. Because SAFE is a broad-ranging strategy that involves community development, health promotion, and curative medicine, it requires partnership across sectors. Yet because of its technical simplicity, trachoma control can be integrated with other community-based health and development efforts. Established in 1998, ITI collaborates with a network of partners to implement the SAFE strategy at the community level in a number of countries where trachoma is endemic. These programs have already shown promising results. In Morocco and Tanzania, for instance, severe trachoma infection has fallen by half in children. Overall, more than 10,000 individuals have received sight-preserving surgery; 2.5 million have received treatment with the powerful antibiotic Zithromax (R) (azithromycin); and an estimated 20 million have received health education in personal and community hygiene. ITI's early success reflects the importance of partnership among private companies, international agencies, and governmental and non- governmental organizations in deploying SAFE and making measurable progress toward eliminating trachoma. From the beginning, ITI saw the need for competency-based partnerships to address the complex nature of trachoma and the multi-disciplinary action needed to control it. Additional information about ITI can be found at http://www.trachoma.org. (c) Public Private Partnership and AIDS prevention. Source: IAVI Report- The Newsletter of International AIDS Vaccine Research, 13 December 2001. A new international public-private partnership will help ensure that promising candidates for a vaccine to prevent AIDS advance rapidly through human testing and that developing countries -- particularly in Africa and Asia -- have the supplies and training needed to conduct their own vaccine trials. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, in part with grants from US medical technology firm BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company; NYSE: BDX), have opened a laboratory to serve as a clearinghouse for coordinating the evaluation of AIDS vaccine candidates as they complete human trials at sites worldwide. The laboratory is located in London, at St Stephen's Centre, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The laboratory is part of IAVI's work to accelerate AIDS vaccine development by pursuing varied vaccine approaches in parallel. IAVI's strategy is to compare vaccines head-to-head in early human trials, so that the best designs can be prioritized for further development and testing. Over the next few years, IAVI plans to sponsor human trials of at least 12 AIDS vaccine candidates -- two already are in trials in Kenya and the UK -- and these vaccines will be evaluated with assistance from the central London laboratory. Key to the laboratory's mission is to provide training for developing country scientists and access to the most modern equipment. Initially, the London facility will work with IAVI-sponsored vaccine development teams now or soon to be testing AIDS vaccine candidates in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, India and China, as well as in the US and UK. The laboratory has been outfitted with state-of-the-art vaccine testing tools, in part by grants to IAVI from BD. BD's commitment includes both a direct contribution of US$1 million and a donation of a BD FACSCalibur(TM) Automated Cell Analysis System from BD Biosciences, a business segment of BD, valued at US$100,000. This represents the largest ever direct financial contribution from a private company to IAVI's global AIDS vaccine development program. In addition, BD Biosciences will collaborate with IAVI to help monitor immune responses to the vaccines under study. The laboratory will facilitate collaboration among vaccine research teams by assisting them to standardize the tests used to determine whether an AIDS vaccine candidate is working in human trials. For further information on the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), please visit http://www.iavi.org. (d) West Bengal bid to tap private funds for core, services sectors. Source: Business Line, December 13, 2001. The West Bengal Government is firming up plans to draw up legislation that would provide guidelines and regulate "private-public partnership" in infrastructure development and allied services. The idea behind the exercise is to leverage private sector investment in new infrastructure projects as well as in the management of existing infrastructure and services, according to Mr Asok Bhattacharya, West Bengal's Minister for Municipal Affairs & Urban Development. Addressing an international conference on "Sustainable partnerships for city development", organised here jointly by the State Government, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights and Cities Alliance, Mr Bhattacharya said the traditional pattern of urban growth centering around cities should be checked and reversed. It would be imperative for urban local bodies to join hands with local communities with a view to identifying the local needs and resources and focussing on local economic development. The Minister urged the international donor community to extend necessary financial and other assistance to facilitate the process of urban development in this part of the world. In this context, he disclosed that Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority and DFID were carrying out preparatory work jointly on a project named Kolkata Urban Services for the Poor. Later, addressing media representatives, the Manager of Cities Alliance - a global alliance of cities and their development partners committed to improving the living conditions of the urban poor - Mr Mark Hildebrand, said Cities Alliance became operational two years ago with a financial corpus of $ 40 million to be spent in the first three years. The idea was to attain specific targets - at every five-year intervals - over a 20-year time-frame beginning 1999. "We are hopeful that our initiatives would have made a difference to slum-dwellers across the globe by the year 2020," he said, adding that some of the activities have already had an impact in several countries. Mr Hildebrand informed that Cities Alliance was launched in 1999 with initial support from the World Bank, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, the political heads of four leading global associations of local authorities and 10 Governments. The idea behind the initiative was to "expand the level of resources reaching the urban poor, by improving the coherence of effort among ongoing urban programmes and by more directly linking grant-funded urban development co-operation with investment follow-up". In India several projects were already on even as four new proposals were being vetted by Cities Alliance. Among the projects being vetted were a municipal infrastructure financing facility project, while another project would support networks of community-based organisations for the national sanitation programme. (e) PPP News from South America. Chile Chile's northern Region I waterworks company Essat has made bidding rules available through December 19 for a contract to inspect and maintain underwater outlet pipes in cities Arica and Iquique for 2002-2003, Essat announced. Offers are due January 4. Mexico Carlos Ramirez, commissioner of the US Section of the International Boundary & Water Commission, US and Mexico (USIBWC), testified before a House subcommittee during this week's hearing about sewage treatment in the San Diego-Tijuana border region. The USIBWC currently operates the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Diego County, which treats sewage from Tijuana, Mexico to the advanced primary level. Ramirez expressed the USIBWC's desire to work with Congress to implement a plan to provide cleaner secondary treatment of wastewater from the plant as required by the Clean Water Act. He informed members of the House Subcommittee on Water Resources & the Environment that the USIBWC has sought funding and initiated efforts that would allow it to negotiate with Mexico to implement the Tijuana River Valley Estuary & Beach Cleanup Act of 2000. The act proposes that secondary treatment be provided in Mexico through a public-private partnership. He advised that the USIBWC had just been notified that an interagency consensus has been reached on the US government position for negotiations with Mexico; this clears the way for final State Department approval of negotiations. With State Department authorization anticipated in the very near future, the USIBWC expects to be able to initiate negotiations in January. Brazil Brazil state Sao Paulo's waterworks company signed an agreement with the state university USP to conduct research into the use of vegetable material leftover from the sewage treatment process to generate electricity, Sabesp announced. Some US $ 418,000 will be invested over two years. Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic's potable water and sewerage agency Inapa has inaugurated two aqueducts in El Seibo province rural localities Sabana de Rodeo and Higua, which cost over US $ 180,000, Inapa director Roberto Rodriguez announced. The solar-powered aqueducts will benefit over 1,000 residents, Rodriguez said, commenting the country's pre-investment fund and Spain's international cooperation agency helped fund the works. Another 23 solar-powered rural aqueduct systems are under construction, with some US $ 1.55mn investment, he commented. Source: Business News Americas December 14, 2001. (f) New Partnership To Ward Off Potential Water Wars. Source: Environment News Service, 2001, PARIS, France, January 8, 2002 (ENS). Global demand for drinking water has multiplied seven times during the 20th century. In an effort to prevent conflicts arising from scarce freshwater resources Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, currently president of Green Cross International and UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura have formally signed a two year cooperative agreement to pool their complementary approaches to water conservation at UNESCO headquaters in Paris. The new initiative is called "From Potential Conflict to Cooperation Potential : Water for Peace." See also http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2002/2002L-01-08-02.html. (3). NEW PUBLICATIONS. (a) 2001 PPIAF Annual Report. 2001 PPIAF Annual Report is now available at the PPIAF website (www.ppiaf.org). Please click on the folllowing link to view the Report. http://www.ppiaf.org/files/ar2001new.pdf. (b) Trend of success of public-private partnerships. PricewaterhouseCoopers have recently published their report 'Public Private Partnerships: A Clearer View'; a review of PPPs providing a wide range of public services. The report concludes that much of the public comment on PPPs is poorly informed and that whilst there is room for improvement, the evidence is that PPPs do work with end users judging their projects as being successful. A summary of the report can be obtained from the PwC website by clicking http://www.pwcglobal.com/extweb/ncpressrelease.nsf/DocID/9150041A23CE6FCBCA2 56B05002928D2 (c) India Infrastructure Report 2002. The second India Infrastructure Report 2002 has stressed the need for states to realise that there are no alternatives to competition and public-private partnership in the infrastructure sector. The report, complied by the Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), is an exhaustive compilation and covers issues relating to legal framework, private participation, environment and rural development. The next edition of India Infrastructure Report is expected to include urban infrastructure and housing. The report outlined that roads, ports, airports and connectivity with ports have witnessed a flurry of activities which will improve infrastructure and reduce transport time. Despite being provided with a robust framework, railways are yet to respond positively. Power was in the limelight but without much physical improvement was highlighted in the report, suggesting reduced government role in power sector. In the telecom sector, cellular tariffs dropped to nearly tenth compared to the last two years which came by as a result of deregulation. According to the report, with the emergence of 'institutional competition' in the states and some of them doing visibly better, administrators will be left with no other option but to mend ways to move forward. The report can be purchased/ordered at the following link: http://www.oup-usa.org/isbn/0195658469.html . Source: Nationwide International News, December 13, 2001. (d) Managing the Relationship to Secure Successful Partnerships in PFI projects. The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) is now established as a major form of Government procurement in the UK. It is used to procure a wide range of public services, including hospitals, prisons, roads, computer systems and Government accommodation. There are over 400 PFI contracts currently in force committing departments to future expenditure of around £100 billion. Although there is now considerable experience of the PFI procurement process, there is much less experience of the issues that arise once the contract has been let. Most PFI contracts are still in their early stages. It is important, therefore, that initial lessons arising from the management of these contracts, some of which relate to how the contracts were procured, are identified and disseminated quickly to authorities so that they can be taken into account in current and future projects. This report highlights key issues which authorities need to keep in mind when developing and managing relationships with private sector PFI contractors. To download the document, please visit: http://www.4ps.co.uk/news/NAO.pdf Source: Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, HC 375 Session 2001-2002: 29 November 2001. (e) Framework for Public Private Partnerships. The Minister for Finance in Ireland launched in November 2001 the "Framework for Public Private Partnerships", as prompted by the Public-Private Informal Advisory Group ( IAG ). This group, chaired by the Head of Central PPP Unit of the Department of Finance, consisted of representatives of the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Construction Industry Federation as well as the main departments and agencies currently engaged in the PPP programme. The production of this document fulfills the requirement in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness which calls for the development of a clear framework to assess the appropriateness of PPPs for infrastructure projects and to guide their implementation, taking into account the wider economic, social and environmental objectives that should guide infrastructural development, irrespective of the procurement method followed. To view the document please go to: http://www.irlgov.ie/finance/publications/otherpubs/pppframework.pdf (f) Public-PrivatePartnerships: Factors to Consider When Deliberating Governmental Use as a Real Property Management Tool. The report identifies the potential benefits to the federal government of the US of entering into public-private partnerships on real property. Given reports that the General Services Administration (GSA) has a multibillion dollar backlog of deferred maintenance in federal buildings, it is thought that a public-private partnership authority could be an important management tool to address problems in deteriorating federal buildings. The report focuses on four issues including (a) the structure of public-private partnerships; (b) factors that indicate a property may be a potential candidate for a public-private partnership; (c) benefits of public-private partnerships to the federal government; and (d) factors a private-sector entity considers when determining the viability of a public-private partnership and its benefits to the private-sector entity. To view the document, please go to: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0246t.pdf. (4). UPCOMING EVENTS: WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES. (a) Second European Congress on Private Sector Participation in Infrastructure. Date: 22-23 Jan 2002 Venue: Frankfurt am Main, Germany The congress and exhibition, organized by World Bank Group and the International Bankers Forum, will provide an "expert platform for top-level policy makers, senior experts and practitioners from industry, finance, bilateral and multilateral institutions, academia and the legal profession to share information, experience and knowledge on the issues of private engagement in infrastructure projects". Topics: Power; IT/telecoms; Water and sanitation; Transportation; and Risk mitigation, regulatory and legal issues. URL: http://www.infrastructure-congress.com/. Please also contact: Maleki Group, Financial Communications & Consulting, fax:+49-69-97176555, Email: p.pilger@malekigroup.com. (b) The Dubai International Award For Best Practices To Improve The Living Environment. In collaboration with the Water for African Cities Programme (www.un-urbanwater.net), the Best Practices and Local Leadership Programme (BLP) is currently on the look out for initiatives dealing with water and sanitation on the African continent. The 2002 Dubai International Award for Best Practices in improving the living environment is particularly interested in the fields of water management and sanitation, and would like you to share any such initiatives as you consider submitting for the Award. Deadline for submissions requesting substantive feedback on compliance with criteria or reporting format: 31st January, 2002 and deadline for receipt of submissions for consideration for the 2002 Award and inclusion in Best Practices database: 31st March, 2002. International Jury selects Award recipients: July 2002. Best Practices Award ceremony and international seminar on Learning from Best Practices coinciding with the World Habitat Day: 8 October, 2002. For more information contact: Tom Mboya, Consultant, Best Practices and Local Leadership Programme UNCHS (Habitat), P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: (254-2) 623029, Fax: (254-2) 623080 E-mail: blp4@unchs.org or please visit http://www.bestpractices.org/bp2002 (c) Deregulating and Privatising Asia Power. Dates: 4-7 February, 2002 Venue: The Oriental Hotel, Singapore. National power authorities continue to deregulate and privatise, creating enormous opportunities for investors and power developers. Confidence is slowly returning to Asia and economic growth is translating into increased demand for power generation. The challenge now lies with meeting this new demand and the ability to generate sufficient power to ensure continued development. The Conference aims to provide information and analysis that is crucial for those keen to reap the rewards from this awakening market place. The event will provide the latest regional developments in the major power markets in Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Now into its 5th consecutive year, the forum continues to gather the leaders from power generation companies and international financiers with key policy makers from the various Asian nations. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact:Suzanne Voo, Conference Manager, Terrapinn Pte Ltd. Tel : (65) 322 2755; Fax : (65) 226 3264; Email : suzanne.voo@terrapinn.com. Please also visit http://www.utiliconforum.com/asiapower_2002. c) Project Finance and Public Private Partnerships in France. Dates: 11th to 12th February Venue: Hotel Lutetia - Paris, Paris SMi's two day conference aims to provide insights into all aspects of PPP in France and how they can be applied to sectors including construction, energy and transport. Packed with case studies and interactive presentations, this conference will also provide a networking opportunity, as well as provide information on market expansion and forecasts. Key industry and government speakers include (a) Patrick Vieu, Directorate of Roads, Motorway Concession Department, The Ministry of Public works; (b) A Representative of the French Ministry of Economy, Finance & Industry; (c) Bruno Vergobbi, Managing Director, Dunkirk Port Authority; (d) Henry Marty-Gauquié, Director of Communications, European Investment Bank ; (e) Thierry Deau, Head of Project Finance, Egis Projects; (f) Gilles Breem, Managing Director of Road Infrastructures, Vinci Concessions a division of VINCI; (g) Laurent Detrie, Head of Financial Engineering, Sodexho Alliance; (h) Antoine Bresolin, Vice-President Finance & Investment Systems, Alstom Transport; (i) Jean-Marc Armitano, Chief Executive Officer, EOLE-RES; (j) Lionel Walter, Head of Project Finance, CIC; (k) Patrice Vabre, Head of Structured Finance, Dexia Credit Local. A limited number of places are available. For further information, please visit the SMI Conferences Website at http://www.smi-online.co.uk/conferences/. d) Institutional Changes in the Urban Water and Sanitation Sector -Risks and Opportunities. Dates: 18 February - 8 March 2002 Venue: On line (Internet connection needed) The Network University (TNU) and the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre jointly offer an inter- active, three-week online course to address the risks and opportunities of PPP, to exchange knowledge on the experiences so far and to deal with future trends in the provision of water services. The fourth course "Institutional Changes in the Urban Water and Sanitation Sector " is scheduled from 18 February - 8 March 2002. Among other issues, the course will focus on (a) consequences of increasing private sector participation in the water sector; (b) a sector analysis including stakeholders' roles and interests; (c) experiences with various models of private sector participation worldwide ; (d) the issue of regulation; (e) alternative approaches to reach the poor in peri-urban and rural areas; and (f) recent institutional developments and future trends in the sector. The Target group of the course include professionals involved with the planning, design, and/or implementation of private sector participation, politicians of relevant government bodies (at local, provincial, and national level), NGOs and other relevant stakeholders, and advanced students with a specific interest in the topic. There is a registration fee of US $ 1250. A discount is negotiable for participants from developing countries. For further information, please contact: Mona Hansen at mona@netuni.uva.nl or training@irc.nl. Alternatively, please visit http://www.netuni.nl/demos/water. e) Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities: Conference, Exhibition and Award Programme. Date: 5 - 8 June 2002. Venue: Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden In commemoration of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the City of Stockholm together with its partners have organised a special one-time event. On 5-8 June 2002 The Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities will host an international exhibition, conference and award programme at Kulturhuset in Stockholm, Sweden. The three-day gathering will showcase leading-edge work in urban sustainability from around the world, identifying innovative and replicable examples that can move communities away from health-threatening urban congestion towards improved living conditions and creative environments. The aim of the Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities is to support networking for the purpose of a better understanding of sustainable initiatives across borders, cultures and economies. The Stockholm Partnerships focuses on the positive effects of modern technology, creative urban management responses as well as community-based proactive initiatives and wishes to highlight existing solutions for urban sustainability by providing a platform for demonstration and inspiration. The three-day June 2002 event is multidimensional in the sense that there will be a conference, and an exhibit along with the award programme. During the meeting, the international delegates, representing all possible stakeholders, will be analysing and discussing the pre-selected competitive, sustainable urban solutions from many parts of the world, from developing as well as industrialised countries and countries with an economy in transition. For more information, please visit www.partnerships.stockholm.se or contact, Adam Holmström, Programme Manager, Tel: +46 8 508 28 017Tel: +46 8 508 28 015 (email: adam.holmstrom@partnerships.stockholm.se or Cecilia Ruben, Senior Technical Advisor, Tel: +46 8 412 14 16 (email: cecilia.ruben@sei.se). **************************************************************************** *********************** Please send contributions and feedback: mailto:pppue@yale.edu. 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