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The Global Compact Office today expressed its strong support for the
initiatives to combat HIV/AIDS announced on 3 December 2003 by companies in the
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS.
The projects, to be pursued
in conjunction with the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria,
reportedly will seek to build infrastructure for AIDS prevention and treatment
in the developing world.
The majority of the companies in the
coalition are Global Compact participants, including DaimlerChrysler, Eskom,
Lafarge and Tata Steel.
“Businesses are beginning to wake up to
the pernicious effects of HIV/AIDS on their workforces and the communities in
which they operate”, said Georg Kell, Executive Head of the Global
Compact. “But, clearly, much more needs to be
done”.
According to a recent UN study, only 21 of the world’s
largest 100 multinationals have implemented policies or programmes that address
HIV/AIDS in the workplace.
The Global Compact is placing increasing
importance on HIV/AIDS. One of the key objectives of the Global Compact
Policy Dialogue on HIV/AIDS convened in May 2003 in Geneva was to empower
societal actors to contribute to prevention, awareness raising, care, support
and treatment through the use of the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the
World of Work.
At the Global Compact’s third annual International
Learning Forum Meeting, to take place in Brazil on 9-11 December, a number of
case studies on innovative programs that companies have developed to combat
HIV/AIDS will be shared. Companies represented will include Volkswagen,
BHP Billiton and Pechiney.
Moving forward, the Global Compact plans
to give increasing attention to the problem of HIV/AIDS in countries where the
disease is expected to take a heavy toll in the years to come, including Russia,
China and India.
