Eveline Herfkens, Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation

U.N. Special Session on Children, May 8th, 2002.

"The salt producers are shouldering their global responsibility. They want their businesses to be socially responsible. And not because it will bring them huge profits. Unlike, for example, the vaccine and pharmaceutical industries, which are very happy to enter into all sorts of partnerships, but expect growing markets and profits to result.

Tackling the IDD problem through salt iodization will not lead to bigger sales. People will not eat more salt when it is iodized. So it is not higher sales or profit that lead this sector of industry to accept its responsibility...

We will continue to support the work of this new Network, in order to reach the last 30% of households, protect their children's brains, and give them a better chance in life."