The UN SDGs have given a high priority to partnerships as a vehicle to achieve the SDGs, alongside other measures such as better domestic resource motivation, increased ODA etc. Of the various partnerships mentioned - public, public-private, and civil society partnerships - more attention is given to public-private partnerships (PPPs). The latter in contrast to the other forms of partnerships, offers the prospect of enhanced resource additionality. Accordingly, many UN bodies have started to take an interest in PPPs, while the AAAA has called for the elaboration of guidelines for PPPs.
Yet, PPP has rarely been used in the way it is contemplated by the SDGs. It has not been associated with major social and economic transformation or poverty alleviation. Rather, the objectives for using PPPs have been rather modest - used for value-for-money reasons as an alternative to traditional public procurement, while many projects have been confined more or less to developed countries. Moreover, where they have been applied in developing countries the track record has been at times disappointing and bad projects have attracted strong criticism. So giving a prominent place to PPP in the UN SDGs needs now some urgent consideration and more actions in order to make PPP, a smart investment, viable, feasible and ‘fit for purpose’ for the UN SDGs.