RIBN-RETE ITALIANA BOICOTTAGGIO NESTLÉ Segreteria Nazionale c/o Casale Podere Rosa Via Diego Fabbri ang. Via A. De Stefani 00137 Roma / Fax 06 8270876 / email: ribn@yahoo.com Press Release RIBN DELEGATION IN SAINT PETER'S SQUARE TO SAY "NO" TO THE COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT VATICAN - NESTLÉ RIBN, the Italian Network for the Boycott of Nestlé, the transnational company accused of continuing violations of the WHO (World Health Organization) and UNICEF International Code on Marketing of Breastfeeding Substitutes, organized today, Sunday 26th November 2000, a peaceful protest action in St.Peter's Square against the Comitato Centrale Grande Giubileo (the Committee in charge of all Jubilee initiatives). (Photo:RIBN - Click on the picture for an enlarged version). With this initiative, RIBN reaffirms that: the choice of the Vatican Committee to include Nestlé among the companies involved in catering services for the Jubilee, in particular the Youth World Day of last August, is wrong; the criteria that led to such a choice should have been discussed before, given that Nestlé has been the objective, for many years, of an international campaign against its unethical policies for the marketing of breastmilk substitutes in low income countries; a policy of strong defense of human life, such as the one stated every day by the Vatican, is inconsistent with a commercial agreement with a company accused, with other companies, of activities which undermine breastfeeding and contribute to the deaths of the one and a half million children every year (WHO and UNICEF estimate); this choice is even more unclear after the written promise by His Eminence Bishop Andreatta to avoid further contracts with Nestlé after the one signed for the Youth World Day in Paris in 1998; the behaviour of the Comitato Centrale Grande Giubileo, who did not answer to the hundreds of messages of protest sent when the contract was signed, maintaining an unjustified silence, is unacceptable. For all these reasons, a small group of RIBN supporters and friends, representing hundreds of groups from all over Italy, has decided to act. In a clear but respectful way, the group made its strong protest and asked once again explanation for a choice that it considers unethical. RIBN hopes that this initiative will prompt an answer from the Vatican and will prevent further contracts with Nestlé. Nestlé Boycott Italian Network The Spokesman and the Members of the Executive Board