The steady economic growth experienced by Latin America over the past decade has allowed countries in the region to step up efforts to achieve development objectives and to reinforce state-run public programmes aiming to bring about much-needed social transformations. Nevertheless, Latin American economies still face the challenge of guaranteeing sustainable, inclusive, good-quality growth and development to satisfy the demands of a better-informed and increasingly well educated population. To respond to these challenges, institutions are now redefining their “default” roles and, perhaps more importantly, their modes of operation.

Public-private partnerships have therefore emerged in the social and sustainable development arena as efficient models for the provision of public services and social entitlements to the Latin American citizenry. The region is now accumulating valuable experience, as shown by the many well-functioning alliances among governments, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholder groups that make the most of capital investments, especially in the areas of social and human capital development.