In the framework of its fifth International PPP Forum (22-26 April 2021), UNECE organised a competition to showcase the best People-first PPP projects contributing to 'Build Back Better' from Covid-19.
Projects needed to address the following issues: stakeholder and community empowerment; poverty and inequalities; women’s empowerment; environmental sustainability, climate change and resilience. By utilising the UNECE People-first PPP Evaluation Methodology for rating projects, the competition also served to help test its effectiveness and use.
The winners were selected from a total of 66 projects from 25 countries. 881 electronic votes were cast.
Announcing the winners UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova stated: “We must look to a better future and recovery, learning from the experience of COVID-19 to identify and implement the projects, especially at the local level, so that resilient and more sustainable societies will emerge – leaving absolutely unambiguously no one behind. We need so many more of these projects.”
- First place was awarded to Nova Ceasa, a fruit and vegetable market project in Piauí State, Brazil.
- Joint runners up were a light railway project in Tenerife, Spain and a regional development programme in Caraga, Philippines.
All projects (video presentations are available online) were recognised by the jury for their contributions to poverty reduction, local job creation, enhancing health care services and food security, reducing waste, using renewable energy and aspiring to carbon neutrality. All projects provide real solutions on the ground and by combining social, environmental and economic criteria, significantly improved people’s lives.
The Forum enhanced the People-first approach to PPPs amongst key stakeholders and provided a platform for local authorities to identify priority projects in infrastructure and PPPs that can build community resilience.
Composition of the jury
Tetiana Bessarab, Doris Chevalier, Anand Chiplunkar, Amanda Loeffen, Jean-Patrick Marquet, Melissa Peneycad, Joan Enric Ricart, and James Stewart (Chair), Pedro Neves (secretary).