As the long shadow cast by the global pandemic recedes, CoST is emerging stronger and better prepared for the future.
As illustrated in our 2023 annual report, we are deepening our existing partnerships, particularly with the private sector, and expanding our range of partners. We are diversifying our sources of income and whilst remaining a membership-based initiative, we are also developing innovative tools and resources, with the FIIP being just one example, that can be used by non-members. In these ways, we are extending our international reach and increasing our relevance.
We are proud that CoST is seen as a trusted partner by the world’s biggest and most influential bodies representing the construction industry. It is important to point out that as a multi-stakeholder initiative, we have secured this privileged position with the private sector, without neglecting relationships in other sectors.
This included our appointment by the US State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) in November, to support the delivery of its ‘Global Initiative to Galvanise thePrivate Sector as Partners in Combating Corruption’ (GPS). It also involved work with the Confederation of International Contractors Associations (CICA) including advocacy with multilateral development banks and the publication of a joint paper entitled ‘Tackling Inefficiency, Mismanagement and Corruption in Infrastructure Investment’.
Some of our 2023 highlights included:
- Data published on 10,899 projects, an increase of 34% on 2022
- 200 learning events held with 1,805 individuals directly benefiting
- 1168 people from civil society, the private sector, and government trained to use and publish infrastructure data
- 74 examples of media coverage, including a focus on gender mainstreaming and highlighting the results of the Infrastructure Transparency Index (ITI)
- Winner of Anti-Corruption Collective Action Initiative Award for Southern Africa from the Basel Institute on Governance
- 6 significant transparency reforms in Uganda, West Lombok, Jalisco, and Panama.
- Deepened strategic partnerships with Confederation of International Contractors’ Associations (CICA), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), World Bank, Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Water Integrity Network, and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
- CoST approach integrated into Blue Dot Network (BDN) global certification framework
- Appointed by the US State Department to support the Galvanizing the Private Sector (GPS) project.
None of this would have been possible without the continued support of our members and sponsors. We are indebted to them, as are the vast number of people around the World who benefit from more and better-quality infrastructure and services, savings in public expenditure, and increased competition, as evidenced in this Annual Report.