Working together towards the internationally agreed
development goals:
The Role of Foundations and Civil Society Organizations
Klaus M. Leisinger
Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development
June 3, 2010, Helsinki
An Inconvenient Truth:
Persistent unacceptable inequity in life expectancy
This Japanese girl is likely
to live 86 years
This girl from Sierra Leone is
likely to live only 36 years
2 |Helsinki Symposium Input | Klaus M. Leisinger | June 3, 2010 | Business Use Only
Poverty and health: a vicious circle
Individual and
collective poverty
Save drinking
water and good
personal and food
hygiene
Basic education
for health
awareness and
appropriate
health seeking
behavior
State of
health
Good governance
incl. appropriate
allocation and funds
for health and good
health policy
Sufficient health
infrastructure for
preventive and
curative care
Appropriate
habitat incl. good
sanitation
Save and
adequate food
Freedom from
discrimination,
violence and
harmful traditional
practices
Life style choices
and risk taking
(e.g. food) habits,
sexual behavior,
smoking
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Access to
diagnosis and
medical care
(treatment and
prevention)
Source: Novartis Foundation
for Sustainable Development
Determinants of access to treatment: A multicausal affair
Affordability
(individual and
collective poverty)
Allocation of
funds for health
interventions
(incl. drugs)
Effective
diagnosis and
acceptance by
patient
Acceptability
(cultural „mindset“,
health seeking
behavior, quality
of care)
Access to
treatment
Availability
(supply and quality
of health
management)
Rational use of
drugs and patients‘
compliance
Accessability
(cultural,
geographical,
logistical)
Source: Novartis Foundation
for Sustainable Development
4 |Helsinki Symposium Input | Klaus M. Leisinger | June 3, 2010 | Business Use Only
Complex issues necessitate
„multi-stakeholder-solution teams“
 Sustainable solutions of complex problems necessitate a variety
of different resources, different skills, different experiences,
different methodologies and different mind-sets – but one
coherent approach;
 There are problems the “market” can solve and there are those
markets fail to solve;
 Actors with a government background, a NGO background, an
international development background as well as a private
sector background will bring in different ideas, skills, resources,
etc. – the “right mix“ will depend on the specific circumstances;
 There are “win / win / win”- opportunities, i.e. making progress
towards the development goals and regard the enlightened selfinterests of the partners involved;
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Perceived or real obstacles for
„multi-stakeholder-solution teams“
... However often the „human factor“ in NGOs, UN agencies and the private sector
does not favor cooperation with partners from “other silos”...:
 Resistance of staff members caused by underlying fears and “serious and
distinct negative” (1) stereotypes about the business community;
 Belief that „business community cannot share the same values“ - 95% of staff
qualified the UN as ethical, respectful and honest – the same traits were
ascribed to business by only 10% of respondents (2);
 Prejudice that „Engagement with the UN is „to improve image and for PR
reasons“ (2) (as if that would matter if poor people are made better off…)
 Emphasis on and hiding behind bureaucratic rules instead of focus on results
and concrete solutions
 Cultivation of resentments against NGOs or “functionaries” outside the
“business silo”, uncritical spread of “narratives” supporting prejudice; etc.
Achievement of Millennium Development Goals necessitates systemic
partnerships of all responsible actors which again need a changed mindset
ECOSOC Special Event on Philanthropy and The Global Public Health Agenda - Klaus M. Leisinger |February 23,.2009 | 6|
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Sources: (1) Laufer Green Isaac (2004) Hidden Agendas: Stereotypes and Cultural Barries to Corporate-Community Partntrships;
Conclusion 1:
No single Actor can solve the problem
 Different actors with different knowledge, skills, experience, resources
and networks must come to the table;
 Valuational and attitudinal prerequisites are
• Professionalism (renunciation of us versus them attitudes, highest quality
standards, etc.);
• Honesty (also with regard to differences and incompatibilities as well as other
difficulties);
• Transparency (inclusive dilemma sharing, differences in value mind-sets,
etc.);
• Accountability;
• Willingness to cooperate goal-oriented and accept out-of-the-box solutions;
• Modesty to reach for what is possible! Amartya Sen (“not trying to achieve a
perfect world but solve problems and remove clear injustices where you can.”)
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Conclusion 2:
Sustainable development needs “collective action”
 Future successes depend on robust collective action of the
international community, national governments, Civil Society,
academia and the private sector;
 Let us look for and create incentives for cooperation and
coherent action;
 Let us support all aims, objectives and targets of members of
the “development stakeholder team” in good faith and create as
much synergy as possible;
 Let us celebrate success where we achieve it together;
 Let this meeting be the start of a development dialogue towards
globally accepted principles and values for good practices of
comprehensive and inclusive development endeavours.
.
8 |Helsinki Symposium Input | Klaus M. Leisinger | June 3, 2010 | Business Use Only