PHM-Exch> OPEN LETTER re: Civil Society concerns about the Children's Rights and Business Principles Initiative.

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Patti Rundall <prundall at babymilkaction.org>

>
>
> Here is the letter and comments submitted to IBFAN and Save the Children
> today.  Thanks to all those who endorsed it or submitted  comments to the
> online consultation which is on this link, *
> http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22CECPSMZZ<http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22CECPSMZZS>
>  *
>
> The IBFAN letter and comments are here:
> http://info.babymilkaction.org/node/471
> *
> *
>
> *
> *
> *Subject: **OPEN LETTER re: Civil Society concerns about the Children's
> Rights and Business Principles Initiative.*
>
> Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF****
> Jasmine Whitbread, CEO, Save the Children Alliance
>
> 15th July 2011
>
> OPEN LETTER re:     Civil Society concerns about the Children's Rights and
>  Business Principles Initiative.
>
>
> Dear Anthony Lake and Jasmine Whitbread,
>
> With warm appreciation of our long collaboration with UNICEF and Save the
> Children in the three decade long struggle to protect child health, we are
> writing now on behalf of IBFAN and several other non-governmental
> organizations and concerned individuals to express our unease about a new
> initiative that has come to our attention, namely the Children’s Rights &
> Business Principles Initiative (CRBPI) being formulated jointly by Save
> the Children, UNICEF and the Global Compact Office. We know that many other
> partner organizations share our concerns, but need more time to get
> clearance for a clear position.****
>
>  ****
>
> First, we would like to say that IBFAN supports the idea that the UN should
> adopt a set of principles on children’s rights and business, and understand
> that this initiative is a genuine attempt to scale up action in this
> important area. However, we are concerned that the CRBP as formulated and
> timed has such fundamental flaws that it will actually do more harm than
> good.****
>
>  ****
> The CRBPI seems to be an incentive-driven initiative whi*ch expands the
> role of business* by expecting it  to 'support' or 'protect' child rights
> – rather than, as appropriate in the human rights framework, 'respecting'
> them. The Initiative has, no sanctions for failure to comply with its core
> principles and provisions. **
>
>  ****
>
> Furthermore the CRBPI is being instigated in partnership with the Global
> Compact Office (GCO), a body that has been severely criticized in the
> evaluation by the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) of the UN System in 2010 and
> which lacks "a proper regulatory governmental and institutional framework"or an "articulated
> mandate".  The JIU evaluation shows the GCO to be ineffective and lacking
> in accountability and transparency. It also focuses on self-assessed
> voluntary measures rather than on State Parties’ obligations to regulate the
> impact of business on child rights. ****
>
>  ****
>
> IBFAN’s experience over two years of trying to use the so-called Global
> Compact 'Integrity Measures' to call for the review and exclusion of a
> company that systematically violates the principles has shown the Global
> Compact to be worse than ineffective: it is used for public relations
> purposes by corporations to divert attention from ongoing bad practice.***
> *
>
>  ****
>
> We fear that the development of the CRBPI at this time, pre-empts and
> undermines the forthcoming Committee on the Right of the Child (CRC) General
> Comment on Business and Children’s Rights which should underpin and set the
> framework for all action on children’s rights in this area.  The CRC is,
> after all, the backbone of UNICEF's work.****
>
> Page 1 of 3****
>
>  ****
>
> We know that IBFAN’s work over three decades to bring in legislation to
> protect child rights will be made far more difficult if this initiative
> takes off. As the 2008 Euromonitor International Report on baby food
> marketing states: “companies are fighting a rearguard action against
> regulation on a country-by-country basis.” [1]The last thing that is
> needed now is for the UN and Save the Children to advocate discredited and
> ineffective self-monitored voluntary approaches.****
>
>  ****
>
> In the light of our concerns, which are more fully outlined in the attached
> paper, we would like to urge you to disengage from this process and to
> instead lend your full support to and invest resources in the process of
> formulation of the CRC General Comment.****
>
>  ****
>
> In the hopes that this letter will be given serious consideration,****
>
>  ****
>
> Yours sincerely****
>
>  ****
>
>  ****
>
> Joyce Chanetsa, Convenor, IBFAN ****
>
> Ina Verzivolli, Human Rights Project Officer, IBFAN/GIFA ****
>
> Patti Rundall, OBE, Policy Director, Baby Milk Action, IBFAN****
>
> Lida Lhotska, European Coordinator, IBFAN****
>
> Dr. Arun Gupta, Regional Coordinator IBFAN Asia,****
>
> Flavio Luiz Schieck Valente MD MPH, Secretary General, FIAN****
>
> Margaret Kyenkya, 1st Infant and Young Child Advisor for UNICEF NYHQ ,
> currently managing health and nutrition projects in Uganda****
>
> Laurie True,  Executive Director of the California WIC Association, Davis,
> CA, USA. ****
>
> Charlie Powell, Campaigns Director, Sustain Children’s Food Campaign****
>
> Prof. Andrea Vania, ECOG President, European Childhood Obesity Group.****
>
> Atta ul Haq, CEO, Youth Association for Development (YAD) Pakistan****
>
> Utta Reich-Schottky, Vorsitzende der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Freier
> Stillgruppen (AFS)****
>
> Kibaya Robert, Executive Director/Founder, Kikandwa Rural Communities
> Development Organization - KIRUCODO, Uganda****
>
> MQK Talukder, Advisor of the Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation and
> Chairman of the Centre for Child and Woman Health.****
>
>  ****
>
>
> *CC: *
>
> * *
>
> *UN:*
>
> Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General****
>
> Papa Louis Fall, Mohamed Mounir Zahran, Joint Inspection Unit, **
>
>  ****
>
> *UNICEF: *
>
> Martin Mogwanja, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF ****
>
> Hilde Frafjord Johnson - Deputy Executive Director ****
>
> Nick Alipui, Head of Programmes, Headquarters ****
>
> Leila Pakkala, Head of the Partnership division ****
>
> Viktor Bo Nyland, Senior Adviser, CSR ****
>
> Rania Al-Baroudi, Consultant, CSR ****
>
>  ****
>
> *Save the Children: *
>
> Carolyn Miles, Executive Vice President, ****
>
> Michael French, Geneva Office, Michael at savethechildren.ch ****
>
> Monica Lindvall, Senior Adviser ****
>
> Justin Forsyth, Chief Executive, SCF UK****
>
> Kitty Arie, Leader of Advocacy, SCF UK****
>
> Anthony Davis, Research and Policy Adviser - Private Sector****
>
>  ****
>
> *WHO: *
>
> Margaret Chan ****
>
> Alex Ross, ****
>
> Helena Nygren Krug Human Rights Department****
>
>  ****
>
> *Special Rapporteurs:*
>
> * *
>
> Anand Grover, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health ****
>
> Olivier de Schutter, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, ****
>
> John Ruggie, ex Special Rapporteur on Business and Human Rights****
>
> * *
>
> *Global Compact:* ****
>
> Georg Kell, Executive Director, ****
>
> Deputy Director Gavin Power, ****
>
> General Counsel Ursula Wynhoven, ****
>
>  ****
>
> *CRC:*
>
> Jean Zermatten, President ****
>
> Marta Mauras Peres, Coordinator of the general comment on business and
> child rights ****
>
> Yanghee Lee, former president ****
>
>  ****
>
>
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