UNITED NATIONS, June 23 -- On the 66th day of BP's oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, UK Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan appeared at the UN for a UN Global Compact event. Inner City Press asked Minister Duncan to describe the role of the British government in making BP -- British Petroleum -- live to the corporate social responsibility standards of the Global Compact. Video here, from Minute 28:12.
“It's not for me to answer that questions,” Minister Duncan answered. “You very carefully, carefully steered your question to something which you wish to generate a headline, but it is not the purpose of our meeting.”
But the title of the meeting, and related Ministerial Statement, was “The Role of Government in Promoting Corporate Responsibility.” That the UK government has some responsibility for overseeing the practices of one of its largest corporation, the former Anglo-Persian oil company, is axiomatic.
Why then did Minister Duncan duck the question, and why would the UN, which says that the Global Compact and its events promote transparency, assist Minister Duncan be stepping in to dodge other parts of the question, and then quickly give the floor to another speaker? Video here, from Minute 28:51.
Inner City Press asked about the financial sponsors of the June 24-25 Global Compact Leaders Summit, including PetroChina, which has been protested for its investments with Sudan in Darfur. “The conference has many sources of support,” said the UN's Bob Orr, “all publicly available.”
But the UN's press pack has no list of sponsors. Perhaps Global Compact chief Georg Kell, who in mid June when Inner City Press asked about BP said “accidents happen,” will now provide the list of fiscal sponsors. Watch this site.
