Key Recent Milestones:
· ICAP and the China Alcoholic Drinks Industry Association (CADIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate on the CSR survey and Global Actions self-regulation workshops.
Global Actions Spotlight: Industry Engagement
As we approach our two year anniversary, we take a look at what makes Global Actions unique, and touch on our plans for the future. “Industry has a long track record of supporting programs and policies which contribute to reducing harmful drinking,” said ICAP Vice President Brett Bivans.
“What is innovative about Global Actions initiatives is the durable collaboration and commitment between leading producers and local counterparts from government, business, and communities in low-and-middle income countries.”
ICAP President Marcus Grant agreed: “The most striking feature in my view is how engaged the CEOs were in the planning stage, and how engaged they’ve remained as the actions have unfolded.” He also emphasized partnerships. “The element of cross-sectoral collaboration is an impressive feature. None of these initiatives would work if we didn’t have people from the public health community, government, the private sector, and civil society working together.”
"We remain steadfast in our support of these initiatives and our desire to contribute to reducing the harmful effects of alcohol abuse and misuse," said Brown-Forman CEO Paul Varga ), Chairman of the group of CEOs of major beverage alcohol companies jointly sponsoring the initiatives. “The Global Actions team is bringing together a broad range of stakeholders in markets around the world, and particularly in low- and middle-income countries. While there is more work ahead of us, we are seeing these efforts gain traction and are pleased with the progress to date.”
Evaluation methods are another distinguishing feature of Global Actions. With independent research groups providing feedback on Global Actions programs, ICAP is establishing an approach to evaluation that will be useful to industry going forward. Reports will be presented at a conference around October 2012.
What’s Happening Next:
· Miami: ICAP has organized an industry meeting on self-regulation best practices in Latin America that will take place November 30-December 2.
