Marco Percoco Elected Vice Chairman at the UN European Bureau for PPPs

In a session held in early December, Marco Percoco, Director of Bocconi's GREEN research center, was elected Vice-Chairman of the Bureau of the Working Party on Public-Private Partnerships at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

The main goal of the body is to increase the expertise of governments to identify, negotiate, manage and implement successful PPPs projects, in the context of the larger UNECE's aim to promote pan-European economic integration. The activities will result in standards, guides on best practices, studies and innovative tools that can be used in capacity-building programs and training.

On May 8, the Heads of the five UN Regional Commissions announced a shared platform to increase cooperation between the public and private sectors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Appointments to the Bureau are a prerogative of national governments, while officers are elected by the members.

«In a world dominated by fiscal imbalances», Prof. Percoco stated, «Public-Private Partnerships are crucial for infrastructure investment, while standards and guidelines for projects and legislations are needed to fight corruption and to select only the most profitable investment from a social perspective. In this context, I think academic research is crucial to inform efficient policy making in all infrastructure sectors».