UNIDO, SANDOZ SPONSOR GLOBAL PARTNERS SYMPOSIUM AGAINST DISEASE, POVERTY

(Reissued as received.)

VIENNA, 4 March (UNIDO) -- Some 80 participants and experts from all over the world and from several international organizations attended the Global Partners Symposium organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in cooperation with Sandoz.

The Symposium took place at UNIDO’s headquarters in Vienna between 3 and 4 March and explored the role of the private sector in eradicating income poverty, ways to strike a balance between private and social benefits when applying new technologies to deal with diseases in the developing world, capacity-building for quality and standardization in the pharmaceutical industry of developing countries, and ways of cooperation for fighting disease in those countries.

“UNIDO will do its outmost to promote the spirit of inter-agency cooperation within the UN system and joint activities and partnerships with the private sector, as the only way to make a meaningful contribution to this very serious challenge of fighting against poverty.  Working together, we can address the problems of disease and improve economic development”, Carlos Magariños, Director-General of UNIDO said.

Andreas Rummelt, Sandoz CEO, stated:  “Corporate social responsibility has a long history within Sandoz and Novartis.  Giving access to high-quality medicines at an affordable price to patients is our primary mission.  Furthermore, we are committed to stakeholder relations, such as co-hosting this prestigious Symposium with UNIDO today.”

“We need corporate help to rebuild societies gutted by crime and corruption.  Right now, there are companies who are already making a difference by buying raw materials and commodities from the people who used to depend on the narcotics economy”, said Antonio Maria Costa, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Executive Director (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna.

Within the context of UNIDO’s corporate strategy, of the UN Global Compact and of the recommendations of the UN Commission on Private Sector Development, the Symposium established a multi-stakeholder forum for dialogue between UNIDO, private industry and other UN agencies and relevant institutions on corporate social responsibility and identified innovative partnership models.  It also elaborated a framework for legislation, quality and standardization to stimulate the production of generic drugs with cost-efficient technologies.

Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, is a leading global supplier of high-quality generic pharmaceuticals.  Novartis is a founding member of the UN Secretary-General's Global Compact.  Sandoz has provided free medication to developing countries with a direct impact on debilitating diseases that greatly reduce labour productivity.  The firm has also made significant investments in the safe application of medicinal bio-pharmaceuticals.

The UNIDO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that focuses its efforts on relieving poverty by fostering productivity growth. It helps developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their fight against marginalization in today’s globalized world.

Contact for further information:  Kandeh K. Yumkella, Senior Adviser to the Director-General of UNIDO, tel.: +43 (0)1 26026 3107, e-mail: k.yumkella@unido.org; or Claudia Arthur-Flatz, Global Public Affairs and Communication Manager, Sandoz, tel.: +43 (0)1 26068 9610, e-mail: claudia.arthur-flatz@gx.novartis.com.

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