United Nations prompted to take action following the Davidoff/UNESCO incident
Saturday, 17 July 2010 08:30
|
As direct consequence of the Davidoff/UNESCO incident that took place in 2009, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) requests "a review of the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Programme to ensure that no [tobacco] industry-sponsored person represents the United Nations." In 2009, opera singer Monserrat Caballé, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, accepted a cheque from the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in spite of the clear instructions from the Director General of UNESCO that such tobacco money be refused (see our article UNESCO flatly rejects donation from Davidoff Swiss Indoors). The action point submitted to the 53 members of ECOSOC who meet this month in New York further reminds them that "Goodwill Ambassadors and Messengers of Peace, are expected to be 'persons of integrity who demonstrate a strong desire to help mobilize public interest in, and support for, the purposes and principles of the United Nations'". This clearly suggests that such expectation was not met in the case of the Davidoff Swiss Indoors donation to Ms. Caballé. In brief, this is yet another Basel gaffe, which will no doubt create great embarrassment for Swiss diplomacy and which doesn't contribute to project a good international image of our country. This shows that the Davidoff Swiss Indoors is becoming, with each passing day, more and more shameful for Basel and for Swiss sport. It's high time that an end be put to this ludicrous and highly damaging situation. Are you listening, Mr. Brennwald? |
Here is the full text of the proposed resolution, which is extracted from the Report of the Secretary-General of the Ad Hoc Inter-Agency Task Force on Tobacco Control:
40. “Tobacco control” programmes carried out by the tobacco industry do not work. The industry is vast and includes a variety of interests such as manufacturers, importers, exporters, leaf processors and related businesses. With combined profits of more than $30 billion, the largest manufacturers are the China National Tobacco Corporation, Phillip Morris International and Phillip Morris USA, the British American Tobacco Group of companies, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Tobacco Group plc. In its article 5.3, the Convention calls upon countries to monitor the industry and its efforts. The guidelines adopted at the third session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention set out measures that “aim at protecting against interference not only by the tobacco industry but also … by organizations and individuals that work to further the interests of the tobacco industry”. One of the most significant challenges is to combat the industry’s attempts to portray itself as exercising corporate social responsibility and its efforts as a “partner” in the “reasonable” regulation of tobacco products. The industry has indeed been involved, but that must change.
Davidoff Swiss Indoors cheque received by
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Monserrat CaballéIn this context, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is now questioning the contribution of money by a tobacco company (Davidoff) to one of its Goodwill Ambassadors. A decision of the UNESCO Executive Board unequivocally states that no funding from companies involved in the production or distribution of tobacco can be accepted. There needs to be increased monitoring of the relationship between the industry and the United Nations, including its Goodwill Ambassadors, who, according to the Guidelines for the designation of Goodwill Ambassadors and Messengers of Peace, are expected to be “persons of integrity who demonstrate a strong desire to help mobilize public interest in, and support for, the purposes and principles of the United Nations”.
Action points
41. In the light of the guidelines set out in article 5.3 of the Convention, there should be a review of the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Programme to ensure that no industry-sponsored person represents the United Nations.
Why UNESCO is upset
Extract of website of Fundación G3T
(accessed 7 March 2010)
UNESCO has every right to be very upset about this incident. Indeed, in breach of the specific instructions from the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Caballé has accepted money from the Davidoff Swiss Indoors (see picture above) and has nevertheless presented it to the recipient institution (Fundación G3T) as UNESCO money. The website of G3T, the recipient foundation said that “UNESCO has chosen Foundación G3T as one of the beneficiaries of the collection done by the sponsors of the tournament of tennis Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland” (our translation), omitting to mention that such sponsorship essentially serves the public relations interest of a large tobacco multinational, and that UNESCO had instructed Ms. Caballé that she could not collect the money on its behalf. Apparently, Ms. Caballé has gone ahead and the instructions from the DG of UNESCO have been ignored altogether.