Transatlantic Forum on Public-Private Partnership for International Development — Activity Summary

At the request of PPC, IRIS contracted with the European Institute (EI), a leading Washington-based public-policy organization devoted to US-European relations and cooperation on global issues, to facilitate a one-year forum between the European Institute, USAID and the European Commission under the umbrella concept of a “Transatlantic Forum on Public-Private Partnership for International Development.”

The aim of the Forum was to help alleviate transatlantic tensions, inform the debate on development, and encourage new avenues for cooperation between governments and the private sector. In particular, the Forum was to encourage improved transatlantic cooperation between governments and the private sector in dealing with development issues.

The Forum was launched by a luncheon discussion on “Achieving Economic Growth in Developing Economies," held on October 2, 2003. Andrew Natsios, Administrator of USAID, presented keynote remarks, and Gerard Depayre, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to the United States, spoke at the event.

Following the launch, on December 4, 2003, the European Institute convened the first Working Group session. The dialogue focused on the topic of "Economic Growth in Developing Economies: Priorities, Selectivity and Private Sector Development." It offered an opportunity for approximately 30 representatives from the U.S. and European governments, multilateral organizations, academic institutions and the private sector to explore the challenges to economic growth in an open and candid manner and to offer recommendations.