[5][6] The Blue Dot Network is a project-level quality infrastructure certification, which seeks to ensure that the certified projects advance the following goals:[7] Standards are set by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation,[5] and are meant to assess environmental sustainability, financial transparency, and economic impact.

[10] The Blue Dot Network principles were outlined by David Bohigian, Acting CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, in a Washington Times opinion piece on 15 November 2018.

Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach formally launched the Blue Dot Network with Australian and Japanese counterparts at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) in Bangkok, Thailand on the sidelines of the 35th ASEAN Summit.

He also highlighted the differences between BDN and China's Belt and Road Initiative, noting that infrastructure development is beneficial "when it is led by the private sector and supported on terms that are transparent, sustainable, and socially and environmentally responsible".

[17][18] In March 2022, the OECD launched a proposal for the Blue Dot Network, which it described as a "voluntary, private-sector focused, government-supported project-level certification scheme developed in alignment" with international standards.