The Third session of the Team of Specialists on PPP was held in Geneva on 18 – 19 April 2011. In the Bureau, the TOS PPP executive body, the members were elected from the following countries: Croatia, Israel, Germany, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States. Mr. Kamilo Vrana, director of the Agency for Public-Private Partnership was elected as the Croatian representative. The new president is Jan van Schoonhoven, Director of the Dutch PPP Centre. The Session was attended by over 200 representatives from more than 40 countries and international organizations.
Selection of Mr. Kamilo Vrana is certainly great recognition, which is the result of years of work and results achieved in the establishment of the Croatian Agency for public-private partnership, but also recognition of the expertise of the Agency, confirmed by the sustained support of the application of best practices in the country, contributing to the work of international professional bodies for PPP in the EU and UN, as well as through contributions to the development of regional cooperation in the development and implementation of PPP.
Especially important item on the agenda of the session were the initiatives and proposals for the establishment of the UN’s International Centre of Excellence for the PPP, and preparing and publishing manuals for PPP. Both initiatives are adopted and submitted for further proceedings pending the decision of the appropriate UN authorities.
It is envisaged that the UN’s International Centre of Excellence for the PPP has its headquarters in Geneva, and a network of affiliated national centres specialized in certain fields of application of the PPP, for whose establishment several countries has already expressed interest. International Centre of Excellence for the PPP should be the central UN body to help the governments of member countries in the development and implementation of PPP. The Bureau of TOS PPP shall be in charge for coordination of all activities.
