In the international debate on development cooperation, one contradiction is becoming increasingly evident: while the financial needs required to address global challenges such as climate change, the energy transition and inclusive growth continue to rise, available public resources are becoming increasingly limited. The geopolitical dimension is an integral component of the evolution of development cooperation. In an international context marked by growing fragmentation and competition between economic and institutional models, investments in infrastructure, energy, digital and industrial, are playing an increasingly central role, not only for economic growth, but also for stability and for countries’ positioning within global systems. 

In this scenario, development cooperation is undergoing a profound transformation. Traditional models, largely based on public resources, are now facing growing fiscal constraints, political pressures in donor countries and weaker multilateral convergence. At the same time, the availability of capital at global level remains high, but it often struggles to translate into concrete investments. 

It is within this tension that public-private partnerships emerge as a structural component of new development cooperation models. More than simple financial instruments, they are increasingly becoming governance mechanisms through which roles, responsibilities and risk allocation are redefined among public actors, the private sector and multilateral institutions. In this sense, public-private partnerships do not merely mobilize resources: they help organize the way development is designed, financed and implemented. 

This evolution is particularly evident in sectors linked to the energy transition, digital infrastructure and climate finance, where the complexity of interventions requires a combination of technical expertise, financial capacity and knowledge of local contexts. In these areas, no actor can operate alone. Governments define priorities and regulatory frameworks; the private sector brings capital, innovation and operational capacity; international organizations facilitate coordination, reduce asymmetries and contribute to structuring sustainable, impact-oriented projects. In this context, Italy is progressively assuming an increasingly relevant role in promoting this type of approach. Not simply as a financier, but as an actor capable of facilitating the construction of partnership ecosystems involving public institutions, development finance, the private sector, academia and research centres. This approach makes it possible to move beyond the logic of individual interventions, instead fostering the creation of integrated platforms oriented towards impact. 

The contribution of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Italy fits precisely within this dimension. Through its work, UNDP helps strengthen the connection between political priorities, financial instruments and implementation capacity, operating as a platform that connects different actors. Its recognition in the final communiqué of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Borgo Egnazia in 2024 as a model for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlights the relevance of UNDP Italy in the international context. 

This framework also includes initiatives such as the Mattei Plan and the European Global Gateway, which aim to build cooperation platforms capable of connecting public and private interests, development priorities and investment opportunities. Their value lies not only in the resources mobilized, but also in their capacity to create enabling conditions for investment: project preparation, institutional capacity-building, risk mitigation instruments and the development of bankable pipelines. A distinctive element of this approach is the partnership model developed in Italy. Alongside collaboration with public institutions, UNDP has built a broad ecosystem involving universities and academic institutions, think tanks, research centres, foundations and, above all, private sector actors. 

This platform makes it possible to integrate different dimensions, research, policy, finance and implementation, helping to strengthen the quality and sustainability of interventions. The involvement of academia, in particular, allows for the development of analysis and expertise on complex issues such as development finance, partnership design and impact evaluation. At the same time, dialogue with research centres and think tanks encourages greater integration between strategic reflection and operational action, while collaboration with the private sector makes it possible to mobilize resources and innovation. In a context in which public capital is increasingly limited, the ability to attract private investment becomes an essential condition. However, this requires the creation of enabling conditions: clear regulatory frameworks, risk reduction instruments, and projects structured in a way that makes them sustainable and credible for investors. 

Public-private partnerships perform precisely this function, helping to reduce uncertainty and facilitate the connection between development needs and the supply of capital. In the transition from theory to practice, concrete examples show how these partnership models are already being applied. This is the case of the SAEP Djoué II project for the strengthening of the water network in Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo, awarded to a consortium of companies led by Acea within the PISTA platform developed by the United Nations Development Programme with funding from the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security. 

The initiative, which aims to improve access to drinking water for more than one million people, represents a clear example of how public cooperation, industrial capacity and multilateral coordination can converge in the implementation of high-impact infrastructure projects. In this case, the public sector defines strategic priorities and mobilizes resources; the multilateral system facilitates structuring and implementation; while the private sector contributes technical expertise, design capacity and operational management. 

The project is also part of the framework of the Mattei Plan, confirming the growing shift towards cooperation models based on integrated platforms and structured partnerships. For this reason, the question is no longer simply whether to activate public-private partnerships, but how to design them effectively, taking into account the specific features of each context and the balance between the actors involved. There is no single model: every partnership requires adaptation to the institutional, economic and social conditions in which it operates. Precisely for this reason, the role of platforms capable of coordinating different actors and supporting processes throughout the entire investment cycle is becoming increasingly central. In summary, public-private partnerships today represent one of the main levers through which to address the challenges of sustainable development. Not as an isolated technical solution, but as an architecture through which cooperation can be organized in an increasingly complex global context. 

The trajectory undertaken by Italy, including through the work of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), shows that this approach is no longer merely a prospect, but a practice already in the process of consolidation and destined to become increasingly relevant in the years ahead.