59. We want to deliver sustainable, superior results in a way which supports the long-term health, safety and well-being of our employees, consumers, customers and the communities in which all our stakeholders live and work. Millennium Development Goals During the 2002 UN summit in Johannesburg, the United Nations formulated the Millennium Development Goals. The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 - form a blueprint agreed by all the world's countries and leading development institutions. They have galvanised unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world's poorest. Although the MDGs are an agreement between governments, it is widely recognised that the private sector has an important role to play in the fulfilment of some of the goals or derived objectives. For example, by offering employment against decent wages, the private sector contributes to the objective of halving the proportion of people who live on an income of less than one dollar per day. But also in the area of health care (e.g. halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases), the private sector can play an important role, especially where corporations are involved in offering medical care. For this reason, Heineken, together with a number of other multi-national enterprises and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is currently investigating if it is possible to join forces to combat life-threatening diseases in Nigeria. During a meeting between the Dutch signatory companies to the UN Global Compact and Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch companies - including Fleineken - reaffirmed that they are willing to play a role regarding the realisation of the MDGs and will explain their approach and report on progress in their Sustainability Reports. As the MDGs are not yet covered by the reporting guidelines issued by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the first task facing the Dutch companies is to develop indicators that will facilitate reporting on this important area. This process is currently underway, with Heineken's full participation. Given our major presence in emerging markets, we feel that we are morally and economically obliged to contribute to the development of our host area, country or region. This commitment had already been expressed prior to the Johannesburg Summit, in our Business Principles. Many of the activities we are currently developing, and which are mentioned in this chapter, aim to fulfil our commitment. Wherever possible and practical, we will seek to work together with other companies, governments and NGOs, with each participating organisation playing its natural role. Group learning By organizing Sierra Leone's sorghum growers into cooperatives, Heineken is able to render assistance and expertise in a meaningful way. A sorghum growers' open- day workshop was organised in 2005, where farmers could share their experiences and local agronomists were on hand to provide technical advise. Two similar full-day workshops are planned for 2006. "There is no rule saying that African farmers have to be poor and disorganised," says Ivan Carrol, a local Heineken consultant. "We are actively encouraging them to develop their expertise, increase their yields and multiply their earnings. Some of them are opening bank accounts for the first time in their lives." Ivan Carrol, Heineken consultant, Freetown, Sierra Leone. Heineken N.V. - 2004/2005 Sustainability Report

Jaarverslagen en Personeelsbladen Heineken

Heineken - Milieuverslag | 2004 | | pagina 61