“In the race to achieve the MDGs, one of the greatest untapped resources is the private sector", said Mr. Kemal Derviş, during a Business Call to Action event where a dozen of companies announced concrete initiatives that apply core business expertise, utilizing their technology and innovative spirit to tackle the multiple challenges of poverty.
The event was co-hosted by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Kemal Derviş, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and with the participation of more than 80 global business leaders who came to London to showcase innovative and creative initiatives to reduce poverty in the developing world on 6 May in London.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President John Kufuor of Ghana were also present at the event.
Over the next five years, these new business initiatives, announced by Diageo, Vodafone, Coca Cola, Sumitomo Chemical, Microsoft, SABMiller, Thomson Reuters, Citi and Cisco are expected to create thousands of jobs, and potentially improve the lives of millions of poor people across Africa and Asia. They are part of a concerted push to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that will enable poor people to access speedy flows of information, money and business expertise as well as creating new employment opportunities.
It is envisaged that many more companies from around the world will join the BCTA in the years ahead to scale up the efforts from the private sector to contribute toward the MDGs through core business initiatives.
More resources:
Kemal Derviş, Head of UNDP, opening remarks, download video
Business Call to Action website - http://www.business-call-to-action.com/
More details about the event from the UNDP newsroom
Press release, download pdf
Facts about UNDP and private sector, dowload pdf
For more infromation, please contact:
Afke Bootsman
Manager
Tel: + 212-906-6983
Email :afke.bootsman@undp.org
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