From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: HEALTH: NGOs protest against transn
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 07:55:04 GMT

Title: HEALTH: NGOs protest against transnationals at U.N. forum


an inter press service feature

by baher kamal

geneva, aug 21 (ips) -- non-governmental organisations (ngos)
attending a united nations (u.n.) meeting on nutrition here this
week have threatened to pull out because of the presence of
representatives of groups created or financed by transnationals in
the food sector.

however, these persons have the full right, like other ngos, to
take part in the debates and working groups of the forum.

numerous representatives of the ''traditional'' ngos have
threatened to withdraw or not sign the final document, while
others say they may not attend any future meetings in which these
bodies participate.

''it is humiliating to have here as ngos, among those fighting
for the rights of the people of developing countries, persons paid
by the very companies which hinder these rights,'' ameresh sen
from india, president of the association of voluntary agencies for
rural development, told ips indignantly.

sen said that their presence would be ''dangerous'' because
''by sitting around the same table as these people we could lose
our credibility.

''our governments might accuse us of playing a double game: on
the one hand applying pressure to prohibit the products and
activities of the transnationals which are hindering our
development, and on the other, taking part in the same forum with
their representatives.''

he recalled a campaign in india which culminated in 1978 with
the banning coca-cola. ''now i am sitting beside a representative
of this same company.''

sen, whose association comprises 600 agencies, said that rural
markets in most third world countries were flooded with products
manufactured by transnationals. this, he said, was a severe blow
for local industries and the rural economy.

an official from the belgian 'collective food strategy' claimed
that the transnationals were defending commercial interests
entirely at odds with those of the people.

''it is crazy for us as an ngo to mix with representatives of
these companies which constitute one of the main obstacles for the
development of the people,'' the official declared.(more/ips)

health: ngos protest against transnationals at u.n. forum(2-e)

health: ngos (2)

jean pierre allain from the world alliance for breast-feeding
action of malaysia, said his organisation refused to be identified
in the same forum with companies which have opposite interests.

included among the organisation in the dispute are the
international council for development, represented by a nestle
executive and the international union of food science and
technology, a hoffman-la roche transnational.

also registered as an ngo is the international life sciences
institute (ilsi) of washington comprising such giant food
companies as kellogg, nutrasweet, quaker oats, kraft general
foods, gerber, procter and gamble, nabisco and coca-cola.

the ngos in question have hardly made any response to the
criticisms during open sessions or to the media.

however, ron edwards of ilsi australia told ips he was
attending the forum as a scientist interested in the opinion of
the ngos. he said scientific research was responding to the needs
the third world.

''we must be realistic and understand that to carry out research
funds are necessary, and its is private industry which can supply
these funds, and they are doing so,'' he argued.

the secretariat of the geneva meeting said all organisations
taking part in the ngo forum met the formal requirements for
admission.

this forum is part of a preparatory meeting for the next
international conference on nutrition (icn) scheduled for rome in
december and organised by the u.n. food and agriculture
organisation and the world health organisation.

the icn, which will be attended by ministers and other top
officials from u.n. member countries, will be the first world
summit dedicated to the problem of nutrition in the third world.
(end/ips/hm/bk/da/trd/tt/cdm/92)



-- 
Mr. Aaron Barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us -- posting from Evanston, Illinois
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african