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UN agencies risk being undermined by corporate interests, warn activists

Partnerships for health between United Nations agencies and large-scale private companies should be abandoned, a hard-hitting report from a major health lobby group has urged.

The growing trend towards forging public-private partnerships between agencies such as the World Health Organisation and giant global corporations is damaging health in poor countries and undermining UN integrity, according to the report ‘We the Peoples’ or ‘We the Corporations’? published in January.

The paper, which explores several examples of public-private partnerships (PPPs) between WHO and major commercial operations, was launched by the NGO Forum for Health and the Swiss branch of the International Baby Food Action Network to coincide with the WHO’s annual board meeting.

Author Judith Richter challenges the acceptance within UN agencies that PPPs are both necessary and beneficial. She argues that the trend leads to conflicts of interest and the risk of harmful influence by multi-national corporations. She cites the example of the hamburger giant McDonald’s, whose fund-raising activities for UNICEF have helped the company boost its image and sell more Big Macs. Another joint venture, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), provides food chains like Heinz and Kraft – itself owned by tobacco giant Philip Morris – with the chance to promote processed foods to poor countries.

The WHO is already embroiled in rows over whether it waters down a planned global treaty on tobacco advertising to meet industry pressure and concerns it may accept food companies’ funding in moves to raise food safety.

The report concludes that PPPs are beset with so many problems and risks for health and democracy they should be abandoned. Instead, clear safeguards should be put in place to ensure that any joint ventures with commercial organisations and private benefactors should make the public interest central.

The report is available at www.ibfan.org/english/news/press/press20jan03.html