Research Network GRBN Backs 'UN Goals' MR Initiative

Paragon Partnerships, a body set up by a group including major corporates, research firms and MR associations, has announced a joint initiative with worldwide research network GRBN, to help provide quality data and insights to governments and others who work towards the UN's 17 'Global Goals'.

GRBN (the Global Research Business Network) was establishedfive years ago by research organisations EFAMRO, APRC and ARIA, with the aim of promoting adherence to worldwide ethical research practices - and has since been joined by African MR group AMRA. Between them the four multinational organisations represent 45 national research associations and more than US$25 billion in annual research revenues.

Its new partner, Paragon, is led by a committee staffed from Unilever, PepsiCo, Nielsen, Kantar and GfK, MetrixLab, Flamingo and Sapient Nitro, plus MR associations ESOMAR and the MRS. Paragon aims to provide governments, academics, the UN and NGOs around the world with research data to help them tackle the UN's 17-point www.globalgoals.org Global Goals plan. The goals include ending poverty, combat climate change, and fighting injustice and inequality around the world.

The partners say GRBN has 3500 plus corporate members, and will encourage as many of them as possible to sign up during the first quarter of 2017 to show their commitment to 'giving something back to society', making resources available to the organisations concerned.

Dilek Ozler, Senior CMI Manager at Unilever, comments: 'Humanity has a hard task in front of it to bring Sustainable Development to our world... The partnership between Paragon and GRBN ... is going to open up a new venue for market research agencies all around the world to contribute to this noble cause. And that makes me so proud of the industry I belong to. I encourage all agencies to join this effort and contribute as much as they can'.

Andrew Cannon, Executive Director at GRBN, comments: 'We are extremely proud to be able to support this fantastic Paragon Partnerships initiative and to use our reach into the global research industry though our 45 national association members. We are confident that the research industry will step up to the challenge and dedicate resources to tackling these serious issues for the benefit of people needing help'.

MRS Chief Executive Jane Frost CBE adds 'it's only once we truly understand our problems that we can begin to create innovative solutions'.

Web sites: www.paragonpartnerships.com and www.grbn.org . Companies can sign up here.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.