Nestlé has committed to support a new United Nations’ initiative to boost child and youth education worldwide.
The company set out details of the work it is doing at the recent 2012 UN General Assembly in New York.
Nestlé’s commitments are part of its Creating Shared Value programmes in communities across the globe.
The UN is working with governments, business leaders and civil society to place education at the top of the global agenda as part of the ‘Education First’ plan.
Commitment to children
At the event Nestlé outlined how its business-related activities and programmes will be scaled-up to focus on promoting education for children and teenagers.
Under the Nestlé Healthy Kids Global Programme, the company commits to work with partners in different countries to teach over six million children in 60 countries the value of good nutrition and physical activity. By 2016 it aims to extend the programme to 70 countries.
Nestlé is already doing this by working with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for the next five years. The company is also supporting the EPODE International Network to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity.
In Côte d’Ivoire, Nestlé has partnered with the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) to focus on teacher training, adult literacy and community-based child labour awareness programmes.
Nestlé and the WCF also aim to build and refurbish about 40 schools within four years, impacting on more than 10,000 children.
And Nestlé’s collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is helping to improve water and sanitation facilities for schoolchildren, teachers and their communities in Côte d’Ivoire.
By the end of 2014 the programme aims to reach 55 schools and provide 65 clean drinking water and sanitation points, impacting on about 53,000 people in the cocoa-growing areas of the country.
Millennium Development Goals
Nestlé’s latest pledge follows its commitment last year to the UN’s Every Woman Every Child initiative to encourage governments, businesses and organisations to play a greater role in improving the health of women and children.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched both initiatives to support the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The MDGs were launched in 2000 to provide international leaders and organisations with a benchmark to improve the quality of life for millions of the world’s poorest people by 2015.
Related information:
Nestlé Healthy Kids Global Programme
Nestlé Creating Shared Value
United Nations Education First
United Nations Every Woman Every Child
Read more about Nestlé’s partnerships:
Nestlé commits to support the UN Every Woman Every Child initiative
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