Today (9 April), Australia, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the United
Kingdom, and the United States, jointly announced the
establishment of the Blue Dot Network at the Organisation for
Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). The Blue Dot
Network is an initiative to certify infrastructure projects that
meet or exceed established standards of quality and
sustainability.
The Secretariat will oversee the Blue Dot Network voluntary
framework to certify infrastructure projects that meet
internationally recognised standards for financial transparency,
economic, environmental and social sustainability, climate
resilience, and inclusiveness. This initiative was created
to unlock additional private sector financing, recognising that
quality infrastructure is a critical driver of sustainable
economic growth and prosperity.
The OECD and Blue Dot Network steering committee – comprising
Australia, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the
United States – officially launched the Blue Dot Network at the
OECD Headquarters in Paris, France, and welcomed that Türkiye
accepted the invitation to join the steering committee.
On April 8, CEOs and senior government leaders demonstrated their
support by participating in a leaders' dialogue to discuss how
the Blue Dot Network can attract private sector investment into
emerging markets to bridge the global infrastructure investment
gap. Government officials and members of the Blue Dot Network's
Executive Consultation Group – representing over 200
organisations from the private sector, civil society, and
academia – attended.
For further information, see https://www.bluedot-network.org/.
Background
- Australia, Japan and the United States are the founding
members of the Blue Dot Network. The United Kingdom was the first
country to join after the initiative was created in 2019. Spain,
Switzerland and Türkiye have also since joined. Together,
these seven countries are the ‘governing members'.
- UK businesses and financial institutions are part of the Blue
Dot Network's executive committee and provide technical
expertise. Any interested organisation can join.
