The initiative is called the Sole of Africa Campaign, and the alliance to turn the killing fields of Mozambique into a kitchen for Africans includes patrons for The Mineseeker Foundation: former South African President Nelson Mandela; Queen Noor of Jordan; children's advocate Graca Machel; businessmen Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic and John Paul DeJoria of John Paul Mitchell Systems; and Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.
Sir Richard Branson is on the List of
Press Releases Abbreviated
International Business Executives Meet With U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Discuss Need for Increased Resources and Coordination from all Sectors in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
NEW YORK, June 13, 2007 – Senior business executives from the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC) member companies discussed the need for significantly scaling up the response to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria during a Wednesday meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
These leaders reaffirmed the need for public-private partnerships that unite businesses, governments, NGOs, and affected communities in a common cause. Collective efforts leverage the resources, core competencies and global infrastructures of all partners, achieving exponential results and facilitating economies of scale.
The high-ranking group of executives presented examples of how their companies have responded by protecting and educating their workforce, investing in communities, and using their unique skills and products to prevent and treat these diseases.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated, "The partnership between the private sector and the United Nations is vital to the fight against AIDS. Whether in the workplace or in the wider community, through advocacy and branding, prevention, care and treatment programmes for employees, or financial, scientific and technical commitment, the role of the private sector is indispensable. I applaud the members of the Global Business Coalition for making common cause in this struggle."
"The private sector has taken vital steps toward acknowledging that fighting these epidemics is an important business issue," said Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, GBC President. "Increased resources from all sectors and effective collaboration are essential to win this war."
"The business community has tremendous expertise and strategic resources to offer in the response to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and is collaborating with others in impactful and unique ways," said Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, GBC Chairman. "GBC is committed to working with our member companies and our partners in the public sector to maximize our joint impact."
Other participants included:
Dr. John Tedstrom, Executive Director of GBC;
Rajat Gupta, Chairman of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;
Professor Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;
Peter Robertson, the Vice Chairman of Chevron;
Sidney Taurel, Chairman of Eli Lilly;
Clarence Cazalot Jr., President & CEO of Marathon Oil;
Sir Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman, Virgin Group;
Catherine Babington, President, Abbott Fund and Vice President for Public Affairs, Abbot Laboratories;
Ray Chambers, co-Chairman and founder of Malaria No More;
Vladimir Pozner, President of the Russian Television Academy Foundation;
Amy Robbins, Co-founder of the Mercury Fund;
Richard Plepler, Co-President of HBO;
Marat Safin, President of Marr Group;
Sir David Bell, Chairman of the Financial Times Group;
John Noel, CEO of the Noel Group;
Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, CEO of Vestergaard Frandsen;
Vladimir Golovnev, Founder and CEO of Vostok-Service.
About GBC
The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC) is an alliance of 220 international companies leading the business fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. GBC works to leverage the private sector’s unique skills and expertise in the global response – including developing comprehensive workplace policies; supporting community programs; utilizing core competencies; facilitating leadership and advocacy by business leaders; and brokering public-private partnerships. The official focal point of the private sector delegation to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, GBC maintains offices in New York, Paris, Johannesburg, Beijing, Geneva, Nairobi, Moscow, and Kyiv.
www.businessfightsaids.org / www.businessfightstb.org / www.businessfightsmalaria.org
Media Inquiries Please Contact:
New York:
David Stearns
Media Relations Manager
+1-212-584-1633 (direct line)
+1-718-501-8666 (cell)
dstearns@businessfightsaids.org
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