Johnson & Johnson response to Dream for Darfur

17 December 2007

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Johnson & Johnson and 18 other companies to respond to concerns raised in the following items about the companies’ actions, as sponsors of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with regard toChina's role in Sudan and Darfur:

  • "Olympic sponsors faulted for inactivity on Darfur", Daniel Trotta, Reuters, 26 Nov 2007:
  • "Olympic Sponsors'Silently Complicit' in China's Support of Darfur Genocide, Says Human Rights Group",Olympic Dream for Darfur, 26 Nov 2007:
  • "2008 Olympic Corporate Sponsor Darfur Report Card":

In response, Johnson & Johnson sent the following statement:

As a healthcare company, Johnson & Johnson is dedicated to improving the health and well being of people around the world. We do that best by developing products that help people live healthier lives. Recognizing our responsibility as part of the global community to help those in need, we have a long history of working with partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs)to donate our products and cash in response to humanitarian crises.

We have been working with our partner NGOs for years to address the crisis in the Darfur region, where our efforts include:

  • Disease prevention and control activities (mass immunization, distribution of bed nets, etc.) with UNICEF;
  • Training of police, peacekeepers, and relief workers on best practices for assisting victims of trauma and rape, and creating schools with the International Rescue Committee;
  • Support of AmeriCares airlifts of life-saving medicines in service of clinics and hospitals;
  • Support of basic primary care network training of lay health volunteers by MAP International, and
  • Funding of rehabilitative services.

Johnson & Johnson hopes to see a resolution to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur as quickly as possible. Global institutions must determine the best way they can have an impact on this tragic situation. A “one size fits all” approach may not necessarily be the most impactful approach.

We think that Johnson & Johnson can be most successful in influencing positive change by developing relationships of mutual trust and respect with governments around the world, including China.

We have been working in China for more than 20 years, and have developed a strong position of trust and respect with many government agencies. This enables us to engage in quiet discussions on many important social and political issues regarding the country’s role in the world community. Those discussions with our counterparts occur on a regular basis.