The UN and CSR

The UN, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, NGOs, and now governments continue to concentrate on CSR and aid type strategies, the economic and financial reform of governments in poor regions, and various other programs of education and infrastructure. The guidelines for these objectives can be seen in the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, but frankly the results have been dismal. Most likely, perhaps, because as economist Jeffrey Sachs states in his book The End of Poverty: “Alas, the international community’s approach remains incoherent in practice. … When it comes to real practice, where the rubber hits the road, in the poverty reduction plans, the Millennium Development Goals are expressed only as vague aspirations rather than operational targets. … The IMF and World Bank reveal split personalities, championing the MGDs in public speeches, approving programs that will not achieve them, and privately acknowledging, with business as usual, that they cannot be met!” These words come from the force behind the .7%/GDP giving and African debt relief effort. Mr. Sachs is correct, these organizations are failing and they are adopting and driving CSR.