The Role Of Private Sector In Poverty Reduction

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Centre for Environment and Development (SUM) June 11, 2003

The Role of the Private Sector in Poverty Reduction A conference organised by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Centre for Environment and Development (SUM) in connection with the TFESSD1 Reference Group Oslo, Thursday, June 19 2003 Venue: Auditorium 2, Helga Engs Hus (University of Oslo, Blindern) Purpose of the workshop It is increasingly clear that the Millennium Development Goals will not be met merely with the resources mobilized as ODA. Thus, the private sector will have to be included in the efforts to reduce poverty. Norway has recognized the importance of the private sector and has therefore recently agreed to provide finance to a Private Sector Trust Fund in the World Bank. A main challenge in including the private sector in poverty reduction is improving the investment climate in developing countries. This involves strengthening the enabling environment for the private sector, including public as well as private institutions. Infrastructure plays an important role in economic development and poverty reduction. The conference will therefore deal with the role of the private sector in infrastructure development. Infrastructure also highlights the issue of bringing services to the poor, and the conference will take up the issue of water to focus on this challenge. The conference will bring together NGOs, Bank representatives, academics, private sector as well as government representatives to discuss these issues. 08:30 Coffee 1. Investment climate, growth, and poverty reduction 09:00 Diffusing Best Practices and Creating Capabilities, Perspectives on Policies for Poverty Reduction. Neil Roger, Adviser, Office of the Director, Private Sector and Infrastructure Network, World Bank. What are the links between improving the investment climate and growth and poverty alleviation coming out of the World Bank Group Private Sector Development strategy? 09:20 Ramping-up WBG work on the investment climate: lessons so far. Caralee McLiesh, Economist, Investment Climate Unit, Private Sector and Infrastructure Network, World Bank What is happening with firm surveys, Doing Business indicators, investment climate assessments and FIAS projects? How are they feeding into country strategies, lending operations, capacity building? What are the emerging substantive lessons of the investment climate work?

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World Bank Trust Fund for Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development. Financed by Finland and Norway.

09:40 Policies to attract FDI, Frank Sader, Trust Fund Coordinator, Foreign Investment Advisory Services (FIAS) Program (WB/IFC) Current thinking on the role that transparent environmental and other regulation play in the investment climate. 10:00 Statoil – experiences in Foreign Investment. Christine Neset, Coordinator, Country analysis & social responsibility, Statoil ASA 10.20 Discussions Introduction to the discussion by Eli Moen (NORAD) 10:45 Coffee Break 2. Private participation in infrastructure 11:00 Private Participation in Infrastructure in Developing Countries: Trends, Impacts and Policy Lessons. Clive Harris, Senior Private Sector Development Specialist, Private Provision of Public Services Unit, Private Sector and Infrastructure Network, World Bank Distilling the experience with PPI over the last 15 years; what is the record, what are the drivers and what are the policy lessons? 11:20 Private Infrastructure and the Poor: Increasing Access. Tim Irwin, Senior Economist, World Bank To what extent do the poor have access to infrastructure of reasonable quality? How can policies centered on private provision address their needs? 11:40 Norwegian experience in Infrastructure in Developing Countries. Hans Olav Ibrekk, Econ 12:00 Discussion Introduction to the discussion by Benedicte Bull (SUM) 12:30-13:30

Lunch

2. Water for the Poor 13:30 Water Supply and Sanitation for the Poor: the challenge of meeting the MDGs. Walter Stottmann, Manager, Water and Sanitation Program, WSP manager 13:50 Norwegian Church Aid – their approach and experiences. Gaim Kebreab, Senior Adviser, Norwegian Church Aid 14:10 Challenges and opportunities in the water and sanitation sector - examples from Balkan and China. Finn Medbø, Senior Advisor, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) 14:30 Public/Private partnerships - The Handwashing Initiative, Joana Godinho, Senior Health Specialist, Human Development Sector Unit, ECA Region, WB

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14:50 Discussion 15:35 Coffee Break 4. Closing Session 15:50 Concluding remarks by Leiv Lunde, Econ 16:30 End

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