DFID and CSR: Responsible business for poverty reduction Jillian Popkins Business Alliances Team 24 th April Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA Department Title

1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA Contents  Introduction to DFID  CSR and poverty elimination  Initiatives and approaches Department Title

1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA DFID – A brief introduction  part of the UK Government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries  headed by a Cabinet minister, one of the senior ministers in the Government  halving world poverty by the year 2015  DFID aid will increase to £5.3 billion by 2007/08  In 2004 UK set a clear timetable to meet, by 2013, the UN target of 0.7% of national income going to aid.

1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA DFID and CSR  Why CSR?  Role of responsible business to deliver the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)  Growth, driven by the private sector, is a necessary condition for poverty reduction….  However, where business acts irresponsibly can also contribute to poverty and vulnerability, e.g. child labour

1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA CSR on a spectrum  At one end - elimination of harmful and abusive practices which underlie poverty and vulnerability (e.g. ‘the working poor’, child labour)  At the other end – business practice which has poverty reduction and sustainable development at its core makes a positive contribution to poverty elimination.  What makes a difference?

1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA Some examples….  Labour Rights - ILO anti-trafficking programme + Partnership Framework with the ILO  Ethical Trading Initiative  Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative + new accountability and transparency initiatives in access to medicines, defence and construction  Micro-credit and remittances  Food Industry & Africa  + our own procurement practices

1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 8EA Some links….  DFID:  ETI:  EITI: