Trade and investment are essential to prosperity and peace. Responsible business practices can do much to build trust and social capital, contributing to broad-based development and sustainable markets. Multinational corporations have in recent years been harnessing their experience in developing countries to complement EU governments’ official development aid. What can development partners do to support and facilitate responsible business practice? How can more innovative public-private partnerships be created that add business know-how to the efforts of NGOs, international agencies and host and donor governments? What greater role could business play in helping achieve the Millennium Development Goals?

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are sometimes seen as a magic formula for fixing a developing country’s infrastructure blockages and services backlog, minimising the problems of privatisation and even resolving societal problems. Yet PPPs are not commonplace in the developing world. What lessons can be drawn from PPPs in both developed and developing countries, and what has been the experience of major European corporations engaged in development activities? What policy measures are needed to encourage more EU-based businesses to become involved in development projects?