Does the presence of Heineken beer in Sierra Leone contribute to reduction of child mortality? And to what extent does a chemicals company contribute to prevent environmental damage? The Dutch have set up an 'MDG Scan' to keep the score on what multinational companies do towards realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In September 2000, the United Nations member countries made a commitment to reaching eight MDGs by 2015, such as halving the proportion of people suffering extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, and promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The Dutch Commission on Sustainable Research (NCDO) has now financed the MDG Scan as a tool to raise awareness of the MDGs in the private sector. The scan allows for detailed comparisons between companies within the same sector and evaluation of the progress of a company over time. ...
The United Nations Development and the Global Compact, the UN's voluntary corporate responsibility initiative, have already shown interest in the MDG Scan. The MDG Scan will be made available online later this year as a self-assessment tool in a slightly modified version. "Companies and stakeholders have asked us to attribute more weight to performance indicators that measure real impact results," Lubberts said.
Read the full article on IPS News and World Bank's Private Sector Development Blog.
Also interesting is a MDG Measurement Framework paper and World Bank's Business and MDG website.
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2 comments:
I like the idea of assessments, but am still luke-warm to the idea of self-assessment, it is kind of like when the teacher asks you to mark your own exam. I feel this way because I look at the Kimberley process (re Blood Diamonds) and self-assessment has achieved some minor results, but not nearly as much as independant 3rd party audits would...which I argue is the optimal method to achieving accountability.
That said, I like the proposal for an MDG scan, good old Dutch. Yet my issue though is: are we now focusing on companies because we have given up scanning/evaluating states...and all the ambiguity that entails? At the moment, with some minor exceptions the 'state scan' is "accomplished" by the states themselves, as states are asked to submit reports every year/two years on MDG progress. And...we have seen the (limited) results of this 'reporting requirement' since the formation of the MDGs in 2000.
The UN, domestic opposition parties...who is evaluating the (lack of) progress re MDG commitments and states? Let us be honest - in the world of diplomacy the UN is only so critical of its members re achieving MDGs...take the USA, critique them too much and they pull/withdraw massive funding. So...I like the Dutch proposal and I should read more on it, but given the set-up of the current system I remain highly skeptical. Why you ask? Because if (most) states don't take MDG eval. seriously, why would/should the private sector??
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