Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable Development

The Public-Private Alliance Foundation, working with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, held its Fifth Annual Partners Against Poverty Event at the UN on June 3, 2011.   This followed the Global Summit on electricity on June 2, organized by the Global Sustainable Energy Partnership (formerly e8) and UN-Energy (see article below).    Over 30 people from business, investment, diplomatic missions to the UN, non-governmental organizations and international organizations participated in the June 3 discussions.  Participants and their organizations are listed either within presention sections or at the bottom of this article.

 We asked these experts to come because whether we are working in Haiti, the Dominican Republic or Madagascar, people want and need clean energy and local electrification, simple, affordable housing, and better cookstoves. 

PPAF Executive Director Dr. David Stillman opened and moderated the session.  Presenters included BioGen (Dominican Republic and U.S.), Medesco (U.S.), Habitech International (U.S. and Dominican Republic), WECAN, Inc., and Project Gaia (U.S., Ethiopia and Brazil).  A presentation was also made on Viridian Energy, whose program for non-profits will benefit the Foundation. (See article.) Read more…

Following the Global Summit for Public-Private Partnerships on Energy, on June 2 at the UN, the Public-Private Alliance Foundation will hold a Partners Against Poverty meeting also at the UN on Friday, June 3.  This will cover specific business prospects for community-scale electricity in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Madagascar.  The meeting will discuss issues arising from the Summit and introduce two technology companies with relevant business interests.   Seating for the June 3 meeting is limited.  If you would like to learn more, contact David Stillman, ppafoundation@gmail.com

 On June 2, Public-Private Alliance Foundation colleagues plan to attend a major summit on expanding electricity availability in developing countries,  to be held at UN Headquarters.  Government, private and civil society sectors will discuss and agree on best practices and the path forward for accelerating global electricity technology deployment.  If you or your colleagues are interested, and especially if you are practitioners or have experience in energy issues, feel free to register and to invite them to do so as well.

WHAT:      Global Summit for Strengthening Public Private Partnerships to Accelerate Global Electricity Technology Deployment 

WHERE:     UN Headquarters. 

WHEN:      June 2, 11 am to 6 pm. 

HOW TO REGISTER:       https://www.SignUp4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=E8GL10E  

Registration will close soon.  Also, please notify David Stillman, ppafoundation@gmail.com so we will know that you are attending.  We look forward to seeing you there.  Read more…

“Global Perspectives on Gold Mining: Evaluating Potential and Constraints” headlined a May 3 panel discussion at the United Nations, in a side event to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.  The Pueblo Viejo Dominicana mine in the Dominican Republic was a special focus; it is expected soon to become the world’s 4th largest gold mine.  Jean-Marie Wolff, president of the (Haitian-American) SImACT Mining Holding Inc. joined David Stillman and PPAF board member George Garland at this.  SImACT controls a property in Haiti with both gold and copper potential. 

Gold Mining Consultations

  Read more…

On Friday, July 2 the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted a resolution that includes establishment of “UN Women,” the new gender equality agency at the UN. The formal name is the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. (A/64/L.56).  This momentous action is the result of years of negotiations between UN Member States and advocacy by the global women’s movement. 

PPAF works to promote the advancement of women in its activities in its focus countries and welcomes this new important agency. 

UN Women will function as a secretariat and also will carry out operational activities at the country level; it brings together four parts of the UN system:

• the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), established in 1946;
• the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), established in 1976, and with its headquarters in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic;
• the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI), established in 1997; and
• the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), established in 1976).

The new body will be headed by an Under-Secretary General who will be a member of all senior UN decision-making bodies and will report to the Secretary-General.  [Keep reading for more information on UN Women and on Ambassador Cuello's statement concerning a role for UN Women in the Dominican Republic.]

Read more…

by Bojana Koljancic, PPAF Intern

On Friday, July 2, four Dominican Republic organizations held a conference at the United Nations about the “Empowerment of Young Women through Youth Delegates to the United Nations.”   This was a side event to the 2010 Substantive Session of the UN Economic and Social Council which took place on the day that the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted Resolution A/64/L.56, which establishes “UN Women” as the new gender equality entity at the UN. 

These were the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), La Fundacion Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR) and the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the UN.

Convinced that empowering women and youth fuels thriving economies, and spurs productivity and growth, the Public-Private Alliance Foundation welcomes their involvement on national delegations.  PPAF regularly involves young women and men from different origins and cultures as interns.   PPAF also welcomes the creation of UN Women, which will be operational by January 2011.   PPAF further seeks to help achieve the aims of UN Women, to work for all women and girls toward achieving the goals of equality, development and peace all over the world.

Panelists at the July 2 event were:  Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations in New York; Kerry Stefancyk, Program Coordinator for GFDD; Anik Kohli. UN Swiss youth delegate in 2008-2009; Fruzsina Molnar Straus, Communication and Program Officer at the World Federation of UN Associations (WFUNA); and Yamile Eusebio, Director of Formative Activities in FUNGLODE and Director of the New York GFDD office.  Pilar Sandoval, the Executive Director of UNA-DR was unable to join the panel.

The main theme of the meeting was to promote and show the value of youth delegates at the United Nations, and the extent youth representatives, in particular young women, are involved. Read more…

PPAF‘s renewable energy seminars, held in the Dominican Republic in cooperation with the National Energy Commission (CNE) and others in 2009, emphasized the importance of Law 57-07 to make the D.R. a potential leader in the Caribbean in renewable energy, and to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.  Law 57-07 grants numerous incentives and tax exemptions to investors in renewable energy.

PPAF is very happy to learn that the Dominican Corporation of State Electrical Companies (CDEEE) recently signed its first contract, with Grupo Eolico Dominicano, to buy wind energy that will be carried by the Interconnected Electrical System (SENI). The system currently carries only energy from conventional sources.

The energy will come from Grupo Eolico Dominicano’s 34 mega watt wind park, which will join SENI in 2011. 

Speaking to the newspaper Dominican Today, Grupo Eolico Dominicano representative Wilfredo Gonzalez, who participated in PPAF’s 2009 seminars, called the deal “historic.” He said that the group will continue to make renewable energy investments in the Dominican Republic.

The power will be sold to the CDEE according to the price formula found in Law 57-07 on Incentives to the Development of Renewable Energy Sources and Special Regimes.

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2010/7/5/36209/Dominican-Republics-1st-wind-energy-park-to-operate-in-2011

Ing. Máximo Nicolás, president of the Dominican Association of Aquaculture (Asociacion dominicana de acuacultores, Inc.), has announced the redesign of ADOA’s website.   Included is the announcement of an upcoming training course on tilapia, to be held in August, in conjunection with the American Soy Association. 

PPAF has worked with ADOA since 2007 in strengthening fish farming in the Dominican Republic.

email info@adoard.com
Edificio CONAPROPE
Feria Ganadera
Santo Domingo
República Dominicana

In order to assist businesses to work in the redevelopment of Haiti, several organizations have held or will hold events to bring prospective investment, commercial and related interests together.  Here are a few:

June 10-11, 2010 – AMCHAM DR / AMCHAM Haiti Conference– Montrouis, Haiti

About 600 people attended the “Building A New Haiti” conference organized by the American Chambers of Commerce of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and the U.S. Commercial Service.   Speakers included the Haitian President Rene Preval and the Prime Minister, Max Bellerive.  Partial lists of attendees and presenters and PowerPoint presentations of selected speeches are available on the AmCham DR website:  http://amcham.org.do  David Stillman of PPAF and a team from SImACT attended, with Lesly Kernisant making a presentation in the Tourism segment.  PPAF has posted a few photos from the event.

June 12-13, 2010 – PPAF/SImACT Workshop, Jacmel, Haiti    

About 50 participants from the AmCham conference, plus about 20 from Jacmel and elsewhere participated in the PPAF / SImACT workshop “Reconstruction and Business Opportunities in Southern Haiti.”  Billed as an add-on to the AmCham conference, this workshop focused group discussions and site visits on several practical possibilities.  The Minister of Tourism Patrick Delatour gave a keynote address.   (See article, press and photos.)

June 21, 2010 – “Building a New Haiti” Debriefing and Planning meeting, Brooklyn, NY

About 20 people attended the meeting, held at the offices of the Brooklyn International Trade Development Center of Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York.  Several shareholders and friends of SImACT participated, as well as the PPAF Executive Director.   Thoughts, comments and suggestions of those who attended the June 10-11 conference in Montrouis will be used to shape the July 10 forum and the September trade mission (below) and for communications with government officials.  

July 10, 2010 – Meeting to Plan a Trade Mission to Haiti, Brooklyn, NY

Participants in the July 10 meeting will help plan for a trade mission to Haiti.  The meeting is being organized by the New York State Association of Minority Contractors and the NS and J Advisory Group.  It will be held Medgar Evers College.  PPAF and SImACT have been invited as presenters.  Contact events@nsandj.com  to reserve a place.

September 8-10, 2010 –  Proposed Trade Mission to Haiti 

A trade mission, jointly led by NS&J Advisory Group and SImACT, is being planned for September, to Jacmel and other sites in Haiti.  Details will be available after the July 10 meeting.

The World Summit for the Future of Haiti was held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on June 2, 2010   It was hosted by Dominican President Leonel Fernandez who opened summit along with Haitian President Rene Preval,  U.N. special envoy to Haiti former president Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.  This was a follow up to the summit held in New York on March 31 in which a total of almost 10 billion dollars was pledged by the various countries and international organizations that attended.

The June 2 summit was organized in effort to begin to review the funds that had already been pledged in the months following the New York summit. The day was spent discussing ways to create and implement initiatives aimed at rebuilding the Haitian infrastructure after the devastating earthquake of January 12. The focus was on projects that would restore some of Haiti’s most basic systems such as water, sewage and electricity, as well as building housing for the many displaced Haitians.

Fifty-four donor countries and 35 international organizations attended the summit. According to President Fernandez, by its close, a total of 7.81 billion was promised to help aid in the reconstruction of Haiti- still short of the 10 billion originally pledged in New York.  Most of these funds have not yet been delivered.

“ All this leads to the figure of US$6.71 billion. If we add the US$1.30 billion offered by the United States in the Summit in New York to that, we’ve already identified US$ 7.81 billion in pledges for Haiti’s reconstruction” (President Fernandez) .

 Former President Clinton and Prime Minister Bellerive are charged with using $ 5.3 billion of those dollars to fund various reconstruction projects over the next 18 months. The new Interim Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti (ICRH), will have their first meeting on June 14th to discuss further details.

Another concern was the safety of the million or so Haitians who are now homeless and susceptible to the 2010 Hurricane season which began June 1. Efforts are being made to ensure their protection and secure housing for the refugees in order to shield them from the effects of the harsh season and prevent further tragedy.

“We have more than one million people that are currently living in very precarious conditions, in camping tents,” stated Clinton, who is the United Nation’s Special Envoy to Haiti. “We can not allow for people to die during this Hurricane Season because they inhabit temporary dwellings.”