New report highlights business strategies for achieving the MDGs

Following last month’s world leaders’ anti-poverty summit that called on the private sector to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS), Business Action for Africa and eight other leading business organizations today launched a report geared towards helping businesses join the fight against poverty.

The report, Delivering Results: Moving Towards Scale, highlights the best practices, lessons learnt and challenges that companies face when developing inclusive business models. The report is the result of a half-day forum at the United Nations MDG Summit in New York on September 21, 2010, which brought together more than 200 leaders from companies, governments, international organizations, aid agencies, and NGOs from around the globe.

The MDGs are eight targets that aim to reduce poverty, hunger, maternal and child deaths, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality and environmental degradation in developing countries by 2015, agreed upon by 189 states in 2000.

The report identifies eight main focus areas that will prove essential in advancing the future development of Inclusive Business, including the need for experimentation and room to innovate; the imperative for understanding low-income consumers; the necessity for collaboration; the importance of the right government policies and regulations to incentivize companies to further invest; the need for practical tools and resources to support inclusive business development; the importance of leadership; the necessity for striking a balance between short and long-term business goals, and overcoming infrastructure challenges through innovative partnerships.

The report also provides concrete examples of how businesses worldwide are a catalyst for social and economic progress including The Coca-Cola Company’s efforts to enable jobs, entrepreneurship and opportunities for women through its innovative micro-distribution network across Africa while growing its business. Another example includes Diageo’s commitment to promoting the development of local sorghum supply chains in Cameroon and securing its own access to a supply of quality grain by investing in farmers.
The report is a joint effort between the by Business Action for Africa, Business Call to Action, International Business Leaders Forum, International Chamber of Commerce, United Nations Development Programme, The Global Compact, United Nations Office for Partnerships, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative.

Reports are available for download at: www.inclusive.businessfightspoverty.org.Videos, podcasts, presentations and reference materials from the event are also available online at this site.

About the Event Organisers

Business Action for Africa (BAA)
BAA is an international network of over 200 businesses, business organisations and development partners, working collectively to accelerate growth and poverty reduction in Africa.

Business Call to Action (BCtA)
BCtA is a global membership network of companies, governments, and development organizations working to identify and promote business models that contribute to long-term commercial and development goals. www.businesscalltoaction.org

The CSR Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School
The CSR Initiative at Harvard’s Kennedy School is a multi-disciplinary and multi- stakeholder program that seeks to study and enhance the public contributions of private enterprise.
www.hks.harvard.edu/m-rcbg/CSRI/

International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF)
An independent, not-for-profit organisation working with business leaders and their companies globally to deliver innovative responsible business solutions to sustainable development challenges worldwide.

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
ICC is the voice of world business championing the global economy as a force for economic growth, job creation and prosperity. www.iccwbo.org

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. www.undp.org

UN Global Compact
The UN Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. www.unglobalcompact.org

United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP)
UNOP promotes new collaborations and alliances in furtherance of the Millennium Development Goals and provides support to new initiatives of the Secretary-General. www.un.org/partnerships

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
WBCSD is a unique, CEO-led, global association of some 200 companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development. www.wbcsd.org

UK Department for International Development (DFID)
DFID is the UK Government’s department that manages Britain’s aid to developing countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty. www.dfid.gov.uk

US Agency for International Development (USAID)
USAID is the principal US agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. www.usaid.gov

Swedish International Development Agency (Sida)
Sida is the Swedish Government agency interested in promoting the idea of “international development cooperation” and supports over 2,000 projects in over 100 countries. www.sida.se/English

The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC)
TCCC is the world's largest beverage company with more than 500 brands.

Diageo
Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business trading in approximately 180 markets and with offices in 80 countries. www.diageo.com