Davos call to include the poor
By Frank Jordans |
January 31, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BUSINESS leaders rounded off this year's World Economic Forum yesterday with a call - and in some cases a pledge - to make sure the poor benefit more from any global economic revival.
Executives at the annual meeting of business and political leaders in Davos, Switzerland, said growth needed to be "inclusive" or the world would experience more of the unrest seen in Tunisia and Egypt.
Chanda Kochhar, chief executive of India's ICICI bank, said the challenge was "can we create enough basic facilities" such as schools, roads and housing to ensure growth really benefits everyone.
Jacob Wallenberg, who sits on the board of Coca-Cola Co, said his company was working to ensure safe water supplies to communities where it operates.
Coca-Cola has in the past been accused of exploiting wells for its soft drinks production at the expense of the local population.
Non-governmental groups have been lobbying business leaders in Davos to be more responsible or face greater regulation.
"The time for voluntary standards for businesses in relation to meeting human rights obligations is over," the head of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty. "We now need to have mandatory standards."
The rising cost of food, which has been named as one of the reasons for recent protests in Asia and the Middle East, was cited as a concern by many of the Forum's 2,500 attendees this year.
Executives at the annual meeting of business and political leaders in Davos, Switzerland, said growth needed to be "inclusive" or the world would experience more of the unrest seen in Tunisia and Egypt.
Chanda Kochhar, chief executive of India's ICICI bank, said the challenge was "can we create enough basic facilities" such as schools, roads and housing to ensure growth really benefits everyone.
Jacob Wallenberg, who sits on the board of Coca-Cola Co, said his company was working to ensure safe water supplies to communities where it operates.
Coca-Cola has in the past been accused of exploiting wells for its soft drinks production at the expense of the local population.
Non-governmental groups have been lobbying business leaders in Davos to be more responsible or face greater regulation.
"The time for voluntary standards for businesses in relation to meeting human rights obligations is over," the head of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty. "We now need to have mandatory standards."
The rising cost of food, which has been named as one of the reasons for recent protests in Asia and the Middle East, was cited as a concern by many of the Forum's 2,500 attendees this year.
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