Tell UNICEF to drop support for "McDonald's World Children's Day," obesity lobby

Mon, 26 Aug 2002 06:48:08 -0700

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Commercial Alert update, August 26, 2002

(1) UNICEF and "McDonald's World Children's Day"
(2) Los Angeles Set to Ban Soda Sale in Schools

(1) UNICEF and "McDonald's World Children's Day"
In July, Commercial Alert and 57 public interest groups, health
professionals, elected officials and child advocates asked UNICEF to end
its partnership with McDonald's Corp. and cancel "McDonald's World
Children's Day."

Last Wednesday, we received a dismissive response from UNICEF.  Our
reply to UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy is below.

Dear Ms. Bellamy:

We are unsatisfied with your August 13 letter dismissing our request
that UNICEF protect children’s health by severing its partnership with
the McDonald’s Corp., and canceling “McDonald’s World Children's Day.”

McDonald’s is the world’s largest fast food chain.  It peddles precisely
the kinds of high calorie meals that children should avoid, given the
international epidemic of childhood obesity and soaring incidence of
type 2 diabetes.

You write that you are “proud” of UNICEF’s “tradition of eliciting
corporate support.”  But serving as a public relations prop for
McDonald’s, along with the predictable harm to children’s health, is
nothing to be proud of.  Your partnership with McDonald’s will likely
damage UNICEF’s integrity, good name and long-term fundraising prospects
far more than any pittance McDonald’s may offer.

McDonald’s exploitation of children is well established.  For example, a
1997 decision by a British judge, The Hon. Mr. Justice Bell, found that
McDonald’s “exploits children” through its advertising.  It is hard to
understand how UNICEF could justify partnering with a firm that exploits
children, or why UNICEF would abet this exploitation.

We are alarmed that UNICEF has become a marketing tool of the obesity
lobby.  As if “McDonald’s World Children’s Day” is not enough, this
year:

*     UNICEF endorsed the so-called “Global Alliance for Improved
Nutrition” (“GAIN”) which is a coalition to promote market access and
consumption of unhealthy processed foods across the planet.  Members of
GAIN include Kraft Foods Inc. (a subsidiary of Philip Morris), Procter &
Gamble Co. and H.J. Heinz (a violator of the baby-food Code, according
to the International Baby Food Action Network).

*     The U.S. Fund for UNICEF endorsed the “Coca-Cola Unity Chain,”
providing a public relations boost for the Coca-Cola Co., which
aggressively markets its high-sugar, caffeinated soda pop to the world’s
children.

UNICEF’s support for the junk food industry seems to be part of your
longstanding insensitivity to the toll of corporate marketing on
children.  For example, a 1990 internal Philip Morris USA memo recounts
your comments about the company: “I like Philip Morris…I think it is a
great company.”

Does UNICEF have standards that a corporation must meet to be a UNICEF
partner? Or will UNICEF rent itself out indiscriminately as a public
relations tool to the highest bidder?  Is there any corporate conduct
that UNICEF finds too unacceptable to partner with?

We ask you, once again, to drop your partnership with McDonalds, cancel
“McDonald’s World Children’s Day” and to stop acting as an agent of the
global junk food industry.

Sincerely,

Gary Ruskin, Executive Director, Commercial Alert

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
(1) Please ask UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy to cancel
"McDonald's World Children's Day" and stop promoting McDonald's and
other junk food. She can be reached by phone at 212.326.7000, by fax at
212.326.7758, or by email via her assistant, Jane Cole, at
<jcole@unicef.org>.

(2) For those attending the U.N. Summit in Johannesburg: please question
UNICEF representatives about "McDonald's World Children's Day" and
UNICEF's ongoing partnerships with the obesity lobby at any public
forums you attend.

BACKGROUND:
Below are links to:
(1) Coalition letter from Commercial Alert and 57 public interest
organizations, public health professionals and child advocates to
UNICEF.

(2) UNICEF’s response to coalition letter.

(3) The McDonald’s/UNICEF news release announcing “McDonald’s World
Children’s Day.”

(4) Summary of British court decision McDonalds Corporation and
McDonald's Restaurant Limited against Helen Marie Steel and David
Morris.

(5) The Coca-Cola/U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s news release on the “Coca-Cola
Unity Chain.”

(6) Wall Street Journal article on the “Global Alliance for Improved
Nutrition.”

(7) Internal Philip Morris USA memo on meeting with Carol Bellamy
(courtesy of the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library).

(2) Los Angeles Set to Ban Soda Sale in School

Tomorrow, the Los Angeles school board is expected to ban the sale of
soda pop during school hours in all 677 Los Angeles public schools, to
protect children's health.  For more information, see yesterday's
article in the Los Angeles Times.

Commercial Alert's mission is to keep the commercial culture within its
proper sphere, and to prevent it from exploiting children and subverting
the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and
democracy. For more information, see Commercial Alert's website.

Commercial Alert's materials are distributed via our email list. Click
here to subscribe, or send a blank message to
<subscribe@commercialalert.org>. Subscribers receive 1-2 emails per
week.

This note is posted at:
<http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/commercial-alert/2002/000122.html>.

--
Gary Ruskin | gary@commercialalert.org
Commercial Alert | http://www.commercialalert.org/
Congressional Accountability Project |
http://www.congressproject.org/
phone: 503.235.8012 | fax: 503.235.5073

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Commercial Alert update, August 26, 2002
(1) UNICEF and "McDonald's World Children's
Day"
 (2) Los Angeles Set to Ban Soda Sale in Schools
(1) UNICEF and "McDonald's World Children's
Day"
 In July, Commercial Alert and 57 public interest
groups, health professionals, elected officials and child advocates <a href="http://www.commercialalert.org/index.php?category_id=5&subcategory_id=66&article_id=166">asked
UNICEF to end its partnership with McDonald's Corp.</a> and cancel "McDonald's
World Children's Day."
Last Wednesday, we received a <a href="http://www.commercialalert.org/unicefresp8.13.02.pdf">dismissive
response</a> from UNICEF.&nbsp; Our reply to UNICEF Executive Director
Carol Bellamy is below.
Dear Ms. Bellamy:
We are unsatisfied with your August 13 letter
dismissing our request that UNICEF protect children’s health by severing
its partnership with the McDonald’s Corp., and canceling “McDonald’s World
Children's Day.”
McDonald’s is the world’s largest fast food
chain.&nbsp; It peddles precisely the kinds of high calorie meals that
children should avoid, given the international epidemic of childhood obesity
and soaring incidence of type 2 diabetes.
You write that you are “proud” of UNICEF’s
“tradition of eliciting corporate support.”&nbsp; But serving as a public
relations prop for McDonald’s, along with the predictable harm to children’s
health, is nothing to be proud of.&nbsp; Your partnership with McDonald’s
will likely damage UNICEF’s integrity, good name and long-term fundraising
prospects far more than any pittance McDonald’s may offer.
McDonald’s exploitation of children is well
established.&nbsp; For example, a 1997 decision by a British judge, The
Hon. Mr. Justice Bell, found that McDonald’s “exploits children” through
its advertising.&nbsp; It is hard to understand how UNICEF could justify
partnering with a firm that exploits children, or why UNICEF would abet
this exploitation.
We are alarmed that UNICEF has become a marketing
tool of the obesity lobby.&nbsp; As if “McDonald’s World Children’s Day”
is not enough, this year:
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; UNICEF endorsed
the so-called “Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition” (“GAIN”) which is
a coalition to promote market access and consumption of unhealthy processed
foods across the planet.&nbsp; Members of GAIN include Kraft Foods Inc.
(a subsidiary of Philip Morris), Procter &amp; Gamble Co. and H.J. Heinz
(a violator of the baby-food Code, according to the International Baby
Food Action Network).
*&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The U.S. Fund for
UNICEF endorsed the “Coca-Cola Unity Chain,” providing a public relations
boost for the Coca-Cola Co., which aggressively markets its high-sugar,
caffeinated soda pop to the world’s children.
UNICEF’s support for the junk food industry
seems to be part of your longstanding insensitivity to the toll of corporate
marketing on children.&nbsp; For example, a 1990 internal Philip Morris
USA memo recounts your comments about the company: “I like Philip Morris…I
think it is a great company.”
Does UNICEF have standards that a corporation
must meet to be a UNICEF partner? Or will UNICEF rent itself out indiscriminately
as a public relations tool to the highest bidder?&nbsp; Is there any corporate
conduct that UNICEF finds too unacceptable to partner with?
We ask you, once again, to drop your partnership
with McDonalds, cancel “McDonald’s World Children’s Day” and to stop acting
as an agent of the global junk food industry.
Sincerely,
Gary Ruskin, Executive Director, Commercial
Alert
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
 (1) Please ask UNICEF Executive Director
Carol Bellamy to cancel "McDonald's World Children's Day" and stop promoting
McDonald's and other junk food. She can be reached by phone at 212.326.7000,
by fax at 212.326.7758, or by email via her assistant, Jane Cole, at &lt;<a href="mailto:jcole@unicef.org">jcole@unicef.org</a>>.
(2) For those attending the U.N. Summit in
Johannesburg: please question UNICEF representatives about "McDonald's
World Children's Day" and UNICEF's ongoing partnerships with the obesity
lobby at any public forums you attend.
BACKGROUND:
 Below are links to:
 (1) <a href="http://www.commercialalert.org/index.php?category_id=5&subcategory_id=66&article_id=166">Coalition
letter</a> from Commercial Alert and 57 public interest organizations,
public health professionals and child advocates to UNICEF.
(2) <a href="http://www.commercialalert.org/unicefresp8.13.02.pdf">UNICEF’s
response</a> to coalition letter.
(3) The <a href="http://www.mcdonalds.com/corporate/press/corporate/2002/07192002/index.html">McDonald’s/UNICEF
news release</a> announcing “McDonald’s World Children’s Day.”
(4) Summary of British court decision <a href="http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/trial/verdict/summary.html">McDonalds
Corporation and McDonald's Restaurant Limited against Helen Marie Steel
and David Morris.</a>
(5) The <a href="http://www.unicefusa.org/news/releases/011502.html#">Coca-Cola/U.S.
Fund for UNICEF’s news release</a> on the “Coca-Cola Unity Chain.”
(6) Wall Street Journal article on the “<a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/gatesgain051002.cfm">Global
Alliance for Improved Nutrition.</a>”
(7) <a href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/cgi/getdoc?tid=nmx36e00&fmt=pdf&ref=results">Internal
Philip Morris USA memo</a> on meeting with Carol Bellamy (courtesy of the
Legacy Tobacco Documents Library).
 &nbsp;
(2) Los Angeles Set to Ban Soda Sale in
School
Tomorrow, the Los Angeles school board is
expected to ban the sale of soda pop during school hours in all 677 Los
Angeles public schools, to protect children's health.&nbsp; For more information,
see yesterday's <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-soda25aug25.story">article</a>
in the Los Angeles Times.
 &nbsp;
Commercial Alert's mission is to keep the
commercial culture within its proper sphere, and to prevent it from exploiting
children and subverting the higher values of family, community, environmental
integrity and democracy. For more information, see Commercial Alert's <a href="http://www.commercialalert.org">website</a>.
Commercial Alert's materials are distributed
via our email list. <a href="http://lists.essential.org/mailman/listinfo/commercial-alert">Click
here to subscribe</a>, or send a blank message to &lt;<a href="mailto:subscribe@commercialalert.org">subscribe@commercialalert.org</a>>.&nbsp;
Subscribers receive 1-2 emails per week.
This note is posted at: &lt;<a href="http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/commercial-alert/2002/000122.html">http://lists.essential.org/pipermail/commercial-alert/2002/000122.html</a>>.
 --
 Gary Ruskin | gary@commercialalert.org
 Commercial Alert | <a href="http://www.commercialalert.org/">http://www.commercialalert.org/</a>
 Congressional Accountability Project |
 <a href="http://www.congressproject.org/">http://www.congressproject.org/</a>
 phone: 503.235.8012 | fax: 503.235.5073</html>

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