Public-Private Partnerships Key to Meeting International Challenges

“We must help the Liberian Government to liberate the creativity and energy of all of its citizens… To this end, the United States is pursuing a comprehensive economic engagement strategy with Liberia -- with a particular focus on building public-private partnerships.”
– Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Public-Private Partnerships enable the U.S. Government and its partners to maximize their reach and effectiveness in solving international problems and bringing a better life to people and nations.

Through Public-Private Partnerships:

• The private sector can lead with innovation and capital.
• Non-profit groups can implement creative solutions.
• Governments can provide the resources and experience to expand these solutions on a global scale.

The State Department is actively engaged in a great many public-private sector partnerships.

LIBERIA

Since the end of the civil war in 2003, the United States has provided more than $500 million in aid to Liberia, and President Bush has requested $200 million more in FY 2008 to support the country's comprehensive development agenda. The U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is working with U.S. businesses to mobilize capital for Liberian small businesses, infrastructure and key industrial sectors.

Top Liberian Government officials, including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, came together with major U.S. Government and business leaders at the Liberia Partners Forum in Washington, DC, in February 2007. Companies represented by their top leadership included the Robert L. Johnson Companies, Coca-Cola, Arcelor Mittal, Standard Bank, and the Mars Company, among many others. The Forum opened up new investment opportunities to international business, and offered Liberia substantial assistance in its reconstruction and development.

LEBANON

The United States is helping Lebanon to recover after last summer's conflict and has led the effort to bring humanitarian relief and to support reconstruction, development and fiscal stabilization. President Bush sent four U.S. corporate chief executive officers to Lebanon in September 2006 to launch a Partnership to assist the Lebanese people. Partners now include the Intel Corporation, Cisco Systems, Ghafari, Inc., Occidental Petroleum Corporation, and Microsoft. The Partnership is working with NGOs on housing, education, and job training. In addition, Citigroup and OPIC have made $120 million available for loans to businesses and homeowners, through Lebanese banks.

HIV/AIDS

Through the U.S. President's $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. is leading the world's global response to HIV/AIDS. In order to expand its reach and translate funding into action, the U.S. has worked with a variety of partners including multinational corporations, U.S. and foreign companies, labor unions, community and faith-based organizations, and foundations.

The Pfizer Corporation has funded the Global Health Fellows program that loans financial and organization management experts to assist NGOs and local ministries to strengthen health systems. The U.S. Government-funded International AIDS Vaccine Initiative also launched a partnership with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals to develop an AIDS vaccine using a promising new technology.

MALARIA

President Bush announced the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) in June 2005. PMI is a five-year, $1.2 billion program that challenges the private sector to join the U.S. Government in combating malaria in 15 hardest-hit countries. The initiative aims to cut malaria-related deaths by 50% in these target countries. The White House Summit on Malaria brought together multilateral agencies, corporations, foundations and NGOs to highlight measures for controlling malaria. Exxon-Mobil Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Malaria No More are a few of the many groups answering the challenge.