SCANDAL: UNDP assures preferencial business access for Japan's UNICHARM CORP - claiming their products "are better and cheeper for African poor"

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UNDP - United Nations Development Programme : Japan’s Unicharm Corp. to bring affordable hygiene products to 36 million low-income women

10/11/2012| 06:23pm US/Eastern
11 October 2012

New York/Tokyo -Japanese consumer products giant Unicharm Corp. has pledged to bring affordable diapers and sanitary products to 36 million low-income women in the Middle East/North Africa and Asian regions as part of the Business Call to Action (BCTA), a global initiative to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development through the development of inclusive business models.
Unicharm's international expansion is expected to more than triple the company's annual production of diapers and feminine napkins from 10 billion and 12 billion by the year 2020. Forty percent of Unicharm's total hygiene products are expected to be manufactured and sold to low-income consumers in the Middle East/North Africa and Asia.
As part of its localization strategy, the company will also employ an additional 8,000 underemployed women throughout Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt-nearly doubling its female workforce in these countries.
"Through this initiative, we will expand our reach while alleviating poverty and supporting and empowering millions of women across the Middle East/North Africa and Asia," Unicharm Corp. CEO Takahisa Takahara said. "We are delighted to contribute in this way to sustainable and inclusive development, and to further demonstrate that good business practices and good global citizenship complement each other." 
By localizing production, streamlining manufacturing, and simplifying packaging, Unicharm will offer feminine napkins and diapers to low-income consumers previously unable to afford them. Access to sanitary napkins will allow women to remain active throughout their menstrual cycles.
"This is a great example of a company proactively contributing to the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG), promoting gender equality and empowering women," Sahba Sobhani, BCtA Acting Program Manager, said. "By creating hygiene products that are affordable to the poor and employing women in areas where full-time jobs are scarce, Unicharm is both expanding its business and enhancing quality of life for women in the Middle East/North Africa and Asia."
The 50-year-old company makes personal care products for the disposable diaper, feminine hygiene, and adult incontinence markets. Other divisions include health, wet tissues products, pet care, and household cleaning products, as well as food packaging, with most of its business in Asia. As of March 31, Unicharm owned 40 consolidated subsidiaries and two associated companies, with nearly 10,300 employees.
BCtA is a global initiative that encourages companies to develop innovative business models that combine commercial success and sustainable development. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is one of its supporters and hosts the Secretariat of the Initiative.

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The risks for fraud and violations of the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules in the United Nations tsunami disaster relief programmes

THANKS TO WIKILEAKS.ORG

This report is protected under the provisions of paragraph 18 of ST/SGB/273 of 7 September 1994

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION

REDACTED ASSESSMENT REPORT

ID CASE NO. 0558/04

OIOS ASSESSMENT MISSION REPORT

The risks for fraud and violations of the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules in the United Nations tsunami disaster relief programmes in Indonesia and Sri Lanka

I. INTRODUCTION

1. This document reports on the assessment mission carried out in Jakarta and Aceh province in the Island of Sumatra, Republic of Indonesia between 17 February and 2 March 2005 by the Investigations Division of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) following discussions, both actual and virtual, with colleagues responsible for investigative activities in United Nations agencies as to how we might jointly address the potential for fraud and corruption in what promises to be a long-term project for the United Nations. The purpose of this mission was to assess the potential for fraud, misconduct, mismanagement, abuse of authority, waste of resources and other violations of the United Nations Regulations and Rules with respect to the resources and staff of the United Nations and others and who are currently deployed and involved on behalf of the United Nations in the Tsunami Disaster relief, rehabilitation and development programmes [TDR]. It was not intended to be an investigation but was designed to provide a means for estimating the potential opportunities for fraud and other abuses to occur; for determining how complaints of wrongdoing can be made in the environment; for ascertaining the critical persons and entities involved in TDR who are those who may be able to identify possible problems and to assist in solving them; and finally, for seeking local advice for preventive and response actions.

2. This document reports on information that was collected and provides analysis of the information as well as descriptions of potential risk scenarios. It also proposes recommendations as to how such risks can be mitigated or even avoided.3. OIOS had initiated early consultations in January 2005 with agency investigative oversight offices, notably UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR and WFP as well as the World Bank and OLAF/EC to establish a working group which would be able to consider how we might ensure appropriate investigative responses as required. It was agreed that an assessment mission was needed and should be conducted as soon as possible so that necessary measures could be undertaken to prevent fraud and to detect it early where it does occur. Due to other commitments, none of the other agencies’ oversight personnel who were invited were able to join the OIOS team (of two investigators) who undertook the mission. Nevertheless, upon return, the head of the team from OIOS provided briefings to interested agencies in both New York and Geneva. The feedback from those sessions is incorporated into this report.

READ FULL REPORT HERE...

UN Eco-Commissars on Bali – Again

by Claudia Rosett at PajamasMedia.com

For folks terrified of warmer weather, the UN climate commissars sure do have a strange affinity for the balmy climes of Bali.

Recall that in December, 2007, as the common folk shivered in the wintry vicinity of the UN’s well-appointed offices in New York, Bonn and Geneva, a horde of UN climateers decamped to the far side of the globe for a fortnight of conferencing by the Indonesian beaches of Bali’s ritzy Nusa Dua resort (and convention center). There, up close and personal, they braved the preview of a world beset by warm temperatures and ocean waters, as you can see in this virtual tour of the adjacent beach resort — complete with its freshwater pool, beachside cocoons, seafood buffets and winding paths beneath the palm trees.

Now they’re at it again. The UN Environment Program, which is based in Nairobi, is convening a set of meetings this week – not in Nairobi, or New York, but at the same Bali beach resort (and convention center) where they sacrificed all that time for the greater good in 2007. Never mind the UN’s continuing campaign — in the face of its crumbling “climate science” — to restrict and control carbon emissions. Yet again, we are asked to believe the UN deserves special exemptions from its own preachings. Its conferees are jetting to Bali for the greater good of all the little folk, whose job is merely to pay the bills for such pleasures, and live with any resulting rationing and regulation. According to the Jakarta Post, some 1,500 people from 192 countries are expected to attend this shindig — where UNEP claims that envoys of some 140 governments will be present. The pre-session events (the UN goes in for a lot of those on Bali) have already begun.

This gathering is on a somewhat different theme from the grand “global warming” jamboree of 2007 (or the UN anti-corruption convention at thesame Bali beach resort in 2008). The main topic of discussion this time is supposed to be the “sound management of hazardous chemicals and wastes.” Unlike carbon dioxide, that actually is worth worrying about. But do you trust this crowd to handle it? These folks are the from the same UNEP (launched and initially run by Maurice Strong, who went on to godfather the Kyoto Treaty) that has been one of the big purveyors of UN climate alarmism. This is the same UNEP which, together with the UN’s Geneva-based WMO (World Meteorological Organization) established the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which under the leadership of UN climate guru Rajendra Pachauri is now embattled over one revelation after another of missing data, faulty data and cooked results in its politicized findings of climate “consensus.”

And in the UNEP press announcement of this conference, there is already a strong flavor of yet more alarmism, calculated to bring in yet more funding for these folks, as — I’m not making these names up — the United Nations Body Burden Forum gets ready to sound alarms about “the toxic chemical burden increasingly borne by the life of the planet.” Again — it’s a great idea to actually clean up toxic chemicals. But do you trust this UN crowd to decide what those are? Or to find a reasonable way to do it?

Part of this UN bash will be a special session of the UNEP governing council. That council includes not only such members as the U.S., Canada and Japan, but also Russia, China, Cuba, and Iran – Iranian government officials being free to join in overseeing and attending such shindigs, despite Iran’s being under UN sanctions for its continuing pursuit of nuclear weapons (which, in Iran’s hands, would be terrible for a lot of things, including the environment).

There’s lots here that bears watching, but I’ll round this off with a note that at this plush pow-wow the UN’s propaganda engines will be roaring full steam ahead. On Feb. 22-23, this Monday and Tuesday, UNEP will put together a media workshop, on “Reporting Green — The Environment as News.” What fun for the media! A two-day workshop on Bali, by the beach. Will this workshop be teaching the media how to ask hardball questions about things like IPCC findings, UNEP conflicts of interest, or, for that matter, repeat UN mega-eco-conferences on Bali? I’d say, don’t hold your breath.