Coca-Cola charged of undermining UN Global Compact

New Delhi, July 5 (UNI) An NGO has charged that inclusion of the Coca-Cola in the ongoing United Nations Global Compact Leaders Summit with seriously undermining the credibility and effectiveness of the Compact which is the world's largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative with a goal to create a "more sustainable and inclusive global economy".

India Resource Center, an international campaigning organisation that works directly with communities in India, has charged Coca Cola company of violating a number of the UN Global Compact principles in its operations in India.

The company, which became a member of Global Compact only in March 2006 is set to deliver a keynote address at the Leaders Summit that began today. The IRC said that the company has become a member of Global Compact primarily as a tactic designed to deflect the growing criticism of its operations in India and its address at the leaders smmit would be a mockery of corporate social responsibility.

Mr Amit Srivastava of the IRC noted that the company has been accused by communities in India of draining precious water resources as well as polluting the land and water, and one of Coca-Cola's largest bottling plants in India has been shut down since March 2004 as a result.

A growing international campaign to hold the company accountable for its abuses in India has resulted in the company being removed from over 20 colleges and universities in the US, UK and Canada. The company has also been dropped from the socially responsible investment fund of TIAA-CREF, the largest pension fund in the world, he said.

''The Coca-Cola company is using the United Nations Global Compact to hide behind its crimes in India. Coca-Cola's participation goes against the original intent of the UN Global Compact to create a sustainable and inclusive economy, and an egregious company like Coca-Cola delivering a keynote address at the Leaders Summit is the height of hypocrisy,'' he said in a statement released globally.

In spite of the growing amount of evidence implicating the Coca-Cola company's operations in India for causing water shortages and pollution, the company has resorted to an extensive pubic relations drive to address the issues in India. Announcing their membership in the UN Global Compact has featured prominently in their public relations drive, he said.

The Global Compact is based on ten principles - on human rights, environment, workers' rights and transparency - which the companies are expected to follow on a voluntary basis.

More UNI