From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Patti Rundall</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:prundall@babymilkaction.org" target="_blank">prundall@babymilkaction.org</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div class="gmail_quote"><br><div><div class="h5"><div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div><div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div><br><div>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, <u><a href="http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22CECPSMZZS" target="_blank">http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22CECPSMZZ</a> </u></div>

<div><br></div><div>The IBFAN letter and comments are here:   <a href="http://info.babymilkaction.org/node/471" target="_blank">http://info.babymilkaction.org/node/471</a></div><div><u><br></u></div><div><br></div><div><u><br>

</u></div><div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica';font-size:medium"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica';font-size:medium"><b>OPEN LETTER re: Civil Society concerns about the Children's Rights and  Business Principles Initiative.</b><br>

</span></div><br><div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div style="margin-top:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF<u></u><u></u></span></div>

<div style="margin-top:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Times;font-size:15px">Jasmine Whitbread, CEO, Save the Children Alliance</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin-top:0cm;margin-right:37pt;margin-bottom:12pt;margin-left:0cm" align="right">

<span style="font-family:Times">15^th
July 2011</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin-top:0cm;margin-right:37pt;margin-bottom:12pt;margin-left:0cm" align="right"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"></span><span style="font-family:Times" lang="EN-US">OPEN LETTER
re: <span>    </span>Civil Society
concerns about the Children's Rights and  </span><span style="font-family:Times">Business Principles Initiative.</span></p><div style="text-align:left"><span style="font-family:Helvetica" lang="EN-US"> </span><br></div>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Helvetica" lang="EN-US"></span><span style="font-family:Times">Dear Anthony Lake and Jasmine Whitbread,</span></p><div><br></div>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">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 </span><span style="font-family:Times" lang="EN-US">Children’s Rights
& Business Principles Initiative</span><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> (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.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<div><span lang="EN-US">The CRBPI seems to be an incentive-driven
initiative whi<i>ch expands the role of business</i></span><span lang="EN-US"> 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. <i><u></u><u></u></i></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;color:black;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;color:black;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Furthermore</span><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> 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 <span style="color:#2B2B2B">and
which lacks </span></span><span style="font-family:Times;color:#2B2B2B" lang="EN-US">"a proper regulatory governmental and
institutional framework"</span><span style="font-family:Times;color:#2B2B2B;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> or an </span><span style="font-family:Times;color:#2B2B2B" lang="EN-US">"articulated
mandate".<span>  </span></span><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">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. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">IBFAN’s experience over two years of trying to use the
so-called Global Compact </span><span style="font-family:Times" lang="EN-US">'Integrity Measures'</span><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> 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.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right;text-autospace:none" align="right"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Page 1 of 3<u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">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: </span><span style="font-family:Times" lang="EN-US">“companies are fighting a rearguard action against regulation on a
country-by-country basis.”</span><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <a name="1312ffa4652ec32f_1312ff5ee32a1b08__ftnref1" title=""><span><span>[1]</span></span></a>The
last thing that is needed now is for the UN and Save the Children to advocate
discredited and ineffective self-monitored voluntary approaches.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">In the hopes that this letter will be given serious
consideration,<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Yours sincerely<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Joyce Chanetsa, Convenor, IBFAN <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><font face="Times"></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Ina Verzivolli, Human Rights Project Officer,
IBFAN/GIFA <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Patti Rundall, OBE, Policy Director, Baby Milk Action,
IBFAN<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Lida Lhotska, European Coordinator, IBFAN<u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Dr. Arun Gupta, Regional Coordinator IBFAN Asia,<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Flavio Luiz Schieck Valente MD MPH, Secretary General,
FIAN<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Margaret Kyenkya, 1st Infant and Young Child Advisor
for UNICEF NYHQ , currently managing health and nutrition projects in Uganda<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Laurie True,<span> 
</span>Executive Director of the California WIC Association, Davis, CA, USA. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Charlie Powell, Campaigns Director, Sustain Children’s
Food Campaign<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Prof. Andrea Vania, ECOG President, European Childhood
Obesity Group.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Atta ul Haq, CEO, Youth Association for Development
(YAD) Pakistan<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Utta Reich-Schottky, Vorsitzende der
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Freier Stillgruppen (AFS)<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Kibaya Robert, Executive Director/Founder, Kikandwa
Rural Communities Development Organization - KIRUCODO, Uganda<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">MQK Talukder, Advisor of the Bangladesh Breastfeeding
Foundation and Chairman of the Centre for Child and Woman Health.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><font face="Times"><br></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b>CC: <u></u><u></u></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b> <u></u><u></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b>UN:<u></u><u></u></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Papa Louis Fall, Mohamed Mounir Zahran, Joint
Inspection Unit, </span><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT" lang="EN-US"><b><u><u></u><u></u></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b>UNICEF: <u></u><u></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Martin Mogwanja, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Hilde Frafjord Johnson - Deputy Executive Director <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Nick Alipui, Head of Programmes, Headquarters <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Leila Pakkala, Head of the Partnership division <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Viktor Bo Nyland, Senior Adviser, CSR <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Rania Al-Baroudi, Consultant, CSR <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b>Save the Children: <u></u><u></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Carolyn Miles, Executive Vice President, <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Michael French, Geneva Office,
<a href="mailto:Michael@savethechildren.ch" target="_blank">Michael@savethechildren.ch</a> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Monica Lindvall, Senior Adviser <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Justin Forsyth, Chief Executive, SCF UK<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Kitty Arie, Leader of Advocacy, SCF UK<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Anthony Davis, Research and Policy Adviser - Private
Sector<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b>WHO: <u></u><u></u></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Margaret Chan <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Alex Ross, <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Helena Nygren Krug Human Rights Department<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b>Special Rapporteurs:<u></u><u></u></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b> <u></u><u></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Anand Grover, Special Rapporteur on the Right to
Health <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Olivier de Schutter, Special Rapporteur on the Right
to Food, <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">John Ruggie, ex Special Rapporteur on Business and
Human Rights<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b> <u></u><u></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b>Global Compact:</b></span><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none">

<span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Georg Kell, Executive Director, <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Deputy Director Gavin Power, <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">General Counsel Ursula Wynhoven, <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"><b>CRC:<u></u><u></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Jean Zermatten, President <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Marta Mauras Peres, Coordinator of the general comment
on business and child rights <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US">Yanghee Lee, former president <u></u><u></u></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times;font-style:normal" lang="EN-US"> <u></u><u></u></span></p><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br>