Thank you Minister Matteoli for that kind introduction. I would like to thank the government of Italy for its initiative and leadership in hosting the Forum, and to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs for their assistance in developing a first-rate agenda. All of us here today -- from government, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations -- work on public-private partnerships to promote economic growth, social development, and environmental stewardship, and want to see these efforts grow and flourish.

Even though we may look at today’s sustainable development challenges from different vantage points, we share the common view that to meet the goals we have established we need a more effective and efficient way of doing business. Building partnerships and alliances are a dynamic means to achieve these goals. Partnerships leverage each of our strengths, and have the potential to more efficiently and effectively deliver results than when we work independently. As Secretary Powell has said, “partnership is the watchword of U.S. strategy in this administration. Partnership is not about deferring to others; it is about working with them.”

More than 200 partnerships were launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and that number continues to grow. These partnerships, involving governments, civil society, and the private sector, are being implemented nationally, regionally, and globally. You’ll hear examples of these activities today, during tomorrow’s thematic sessions, and at the Partnership Exposition.

I have two goals for today’s session. First, I want to discuss the tangible results that sustainable development partnerships have delivered as a way of demonstrating the impact these efforts can have on people’s lives. Second, I’d like to suggest some discussion topics to help foster new thinking on how partnerships can be more effective.

To begin our discussion on the range of concrete results partnerships can achieve, let me give you a few examples:

The Government of Italy is currently leading 14 sustainable development projects and is involved in several others. One of Italy’s partnerships, the Mediterranean Renewable Energy Partnership (MEDREP) is helping to alleviate poverty, particularly to rural populations, in the Mediterranean region by providing modern energy services. MEDREP will be one of the featured partnerships during tomorrow’s energy efficiency and renewable energy session. In 2001, Prime Minister Berlusconi and President Bush pledged to undertake joint efforts to address global climate change and to reduce the uncertainty associated with other environmental changes. Since that time, we’ve developed a robust bilateral partnership in which the Italian and U.S. Government and their private sector experts are working to advance climate change science and a number of clean energy technologies, such as hydrogen production, cleaner fossil fuels technologies, and renewable sources of energy. Additionally, the British Government launched an energy initiative at the World Summit on Sustainable Development called the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEP). REEP’s objective is to accelerate and expand the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency systems in developed and developing countries worldwide by working through public private partnerships. In this respect REEP’s mission is closely aligned with our own Clean Energy Initiative.

The United States strongly supports the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). NEPAD’s principles and objectives are consistent with the U.S. Government’s emphasis on ensuring aid effectiveness, accountability, and local ownership. Conserving and protecting Africa’s remarkable natural heritage will be an important factor in achieving NEPAD’s objectives. Consistent with NEPAD’s objectives, we are extremely pleased, for example, to be partners in the Congo Basin Forest Partnership with six Central African countries and South Africa. This partnership is helping to promote economic development, poverty alleviation, and sound domestic governance through support for protected areas, sustainable use of resources such as timber, and livelihood assistance to communities that rely on the forests.

UNEP is the clearinghouse for the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, which is working to eliminate lead in gasoline worldwide by 2005 and to reduce sulfur in transportation fuels. UNEP is working through the White Water to Blue Water partnership, to promote integrated coastal zone management in the Wider Caribbean, and eventually in other regions of the world, is catalyzing partnerships among civil society and the donor community.

The Government of Italy, the World Bank, and the U.S. Government are three of the 280 active partners in the Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP), which is helping to provide energy solutions to the two billion people who currently lack access to modern energy services. GVEP partners are working with host country governments in 16 African, Latin American, and Asian nations to develop a national consensus on action plans. These action plans will focus on the linkages between energy and poverty reduction.

The Bank is also promoting partnerships and capacity building through the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN). The GDLN, a network of interconnected distance learning centers, provides interactive technologies to organize and implement knowledge sharing, training, consultations, and dialogues. Since its creation in 2000, this global network has grown by 400%, and now includes more than 60 centers.

Just as an aside, I can personally attest to the network’s breadth and effectiveness at national capacity-building. I have moderated three real-time GDLN sessions -- one while I was in Kabul and another within 48 hours of the release of the draft Afghanistan Constitution -- focused on creating public-private partnerships that can boost Afghan women’s involvement in the reconstruction of their country. Without GDLN, our ability to bring together private sector representatives from Fortune 500 companies, women leaders from Afghanistan and the United States, and representatives from the Afghanistan Government, would not have been possible.

The partnerships joined and launched by the United States at WSSD builds on a commitment to these types of activities, including USAID’s Global Development Alliance (GDA). The GDA, launched by Secretary Powell in 2001, is a new business model that seeks to effectively and efficiently combine government, private sector, and civil society resources and tools in implementing innovative development solutions. In the 2 years since it was launched, the GDA had fostered over 200 partnerships into which the U.S. Government has invested roughly $500 million and partners have contributed over $2 billion. Through these alliances, shared resources and technologies multiply the impact and sustainability of official U.S. development efforts. These alliances can, and do, lead to solutions better attained through joint efforts. This is our business model for how to get results. We have high aspirations for this approach, but realize that even as we make progress we must all continually make refinements as well. The discussion that we’re going to have over the next few days shouldn’t stop on March 6th, but should continue to help us realize this goal. To help foster our thinking on developing more effective partnerships let’s ask ourselves the following questions:

1. What’s being achieved through partnerships, that couldn’t be accomplished by each partner acting alone?

2. How are we promoting effective institutions, and how have partnerships helped build local capacity?

3. How can partnerships foster wider adoption of innovative technologies, especially through commercial practices?

4. How can we measure our success and present that information in a transparent and open manner?

5. What’s the most important lesson that you have experienced in your partnership efforts?

I look forward to hearing your perspectives on each of these topics and hope you will think about them during tomorrow’s thematic discussions, and over the long term. I’ll ask each of our speakers to limit their presentations to ten minutes, so that we have time for a general discussion amongst the panelists, a Q&A session with the audience, and closing remarks.