Subject:  Corporatization of the U.N. (Reuss).
Date:     Mon, 04 Sep 2000 153226 -0500
From:     Roy Beavers 
To:       guru 
--------------------------------------------------

.......Good item from Chris Reuss......!!

As governments everywhere (even the U.N.) form "partnerships with 
the private sector" it is -- without doubt -- the **public sector** 
that loses.......  SHAME ON KOFI ANNAN............guru.......

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Corporatization of the U.N.
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2000 21:22:37 +0200
From: creuss@bluewin.ch (Christoph Reuss)
To: roy@emfguru.com

[Oops, I wonder if Mr. Annan will read Leopoldine's letter..?!?]


http://www.corpwatch.org/globalization/un/tangled.html#es

Corporate Watch Report:
Corporatization of the United Nations  Tangled Up in Blue


Executive Summary
Secretary General Kofi Annan has encouraged all UN agencies to form
partnerships with the private sector. The centerpiece of this initiative is
his Global Compact, launched with the agencies for environment (UNEP), labor
(ILO) and human rights (UNHCHR) in July, 2000.

This report argues that corporate influence at the UN is already too great,
and that new partnerships are leading down a slippery slope toward the
partial privatization and commercialization of the UN system itself.

The Secretary General's office and UN agencies such as UNICEF, UNDP, WHO,
and UNESCO are partnering with corporations known for human, labor and
environmental rights violations.

The Global Compact and its cousin partnerships at other UN agencies threaten
the mission and integrity of the United Nations.



The Global Compact
The Global Compact has four major problems:

Wrong Companies: The Secretary General has shown poor judgment by allowing
known human rights, labor and environmental violators to join.

Wrong Relationship: Clearly the UN must have interactions with corporations,
as when they procure goods and services or to hold them accountable, but it
should not aspire to "partnership."

Wrong Image: The UN's positive image is vulnerable to being sullied by
corporate criminals, while companies get a chance to "bluewash" their image
by wrapping themselves in the flag of the United Nations.

No Monitoring or Enforcement: Companies that sign-up get to declare their
allegiance to UN principles without making a commitment to follow them.



The New Guidelines
The new guidelines for UN cooperation with corporations state that companies
that violate human rights "are not eligible for partnership."

Mr. Annan violated the guidelines just a few days after they were published
by inviting Shell to join the Global Compact and its envisaged partnerships.

The UN claims that it lacks the capacity to monitor corporations'
activities. This creates a Catch-22 situation. Without monitoring capacity
the UN will not be able to determine, under its guidelines, if a corporation
is complicit in human rights violations.

The Guidelines also provide for the limited corporate use of the UN logo.
This presents a potential marketing bonanza for companies like Nike.

 Full Report
 http://www.corpwatch.org/globalization/un/tangled.html#es


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Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com