The International Platform on Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable Development focuses specifically on public-private partnerships (PPPs) which contribute to advancing sustainable development at the local level. It aims to build capacity on PPPs so that they can be leveraged as an efficient tool for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This collaborative initiative is twofold. It includes:- A physical component: regular international fora, providing training and networking opportunities. - A virtual component: a learning platform which builds capacity through a large repertoire of up-to-date publications, good practices, case studies and e-learning courses.

The international forum included three plenary sessions on the potential of PPPs to advance sustainable development, two technical workshops on legal and financial aspects of PPPs, and a Good Practices Forum in which eight examples of PPPs from around the world were showcased in the sectors of transport, energy, water supply and waste management. A post-forum publication will be released soon, reviewing all the sessions and drawing key conclusions from this event. This will be freely available online.In addition, an official declaration (http://www.un-ppp.org/annemasse-declaration) summarizes the key conclusions of the forum, and will be presented at the 21st Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris. The interactive learning platform draws on both concept learning (repertoire of resources) and experience sharing (online discussion forums) to build further capacity on PPPs for sustainable development on the long-term. Online resources will be organized in a media library, easily accessible and regularly up-dated. This online platform will also offer state-of-the-art e-learning courses on sustainable public-private partnerships, drawing on UNITAR's expertise in online training. Interactive discussion forums will provide a space for participants to share experiences and good practices, and find answers to their questions.

UNITAR seeks to offer long-term training opportunities on how to leverage PPPs to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, through both face-to-face events and online courses. These two components of the International Platform on PPPs for Sustainable Development will continue in the future, in close partnership with Annemasse Agglo.

The first Forum was organised collaboratively by Annemasse Agglo, UNITAR and the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations Office in Geneva: - Annemasse Agglo refers to the urban agglomeration of Annemasse, located in France, in the Greater Geneva area. It comprises 12 local towns, the biggest of which is Annemasse, which is the host city of this project. Annemasse Agglo is actively involved in public-private partnerships for sustainable development at the local level. It contributed financially to the realisation of the inaugural forum, and was responsible for the logistical organisation of the event, and for the four side events which took place before and after the forum.- The United Nations Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR) is the UN training arm for social and economic development, environmental services and multilateral diplomacy. UNITAR’s mission is to develop capacities to enhance global decision-making and support country level action for shaping a better future. UNITAR contributed its training expertise and international network to this initiative. UNITAR was responsible for the content of the Forum, for providing speakers and liaising with other UN partners.- The Permanent Mission of France to the UN Office in Geneva acted as the official intermediary between Annemasse Agglo and UNITAR. The French Mission hosted monthly Steering Committee Meetings and provided overall support to the project. The three core organisers received support from a Steering Committee, comprised of a dozen members of Geneva-based international organisations and NGOs. The Steering Committee provides oversight over the progress of the initiative. In addition, UNITAR works hand in hand with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on the substance of the Forum. The virtual learning platform will be coordinated by UNITAR, who will partner with a range of international organisations, NGOs, private companies and subject experts to build the content.

Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations, Annemasse Agglo, Région Rhône-Alpes, Conseil Départemental de Haute-Savoie, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)