PepsiCo Sponsors Young Leaders to Attend United Nations Youth Assembly

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Aug 03, 2011, 09:00 ET

PURCHASE, N.Y., Aug. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo delegates from around the globe are among the 600 young leaders attending the Ninth Annual United Nations Youth Assembly (UNYA), a three-day conference beginning today at UN headquarters in New York City to discuss progress against the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). PepsiCo is sponsoring the trips of 34 delegates in an effort to empower youth, allow them to build leadership skills and encourage awareness of world issues.

"PepsiCo recognizes the critical importance of investing in the leaders of tomorrow," said Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo Chairman and CEO. "By bringing together some of the best and brightest young minds from around the world, the UNYA is helping to create the next generation of leaders and moving us closer to solutions to some of society's greatest challenges."

PepsiCo chose individuals to participate in the UNYA based on their demonstrated passion for driving the MDGs, championing of humanitarian causes, and contributions to improve their local communities and environment. Several of the PepsiCo delegates have also previously worked with the company on successful regional youth activities initiated to drive positive change.

PepsiCo Asia, Middle East & Africa is sponsoring 15 young Arab leaders between the ages of 20 and 30 from Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Palestine, and the United Arab Emirates. The PepsiCo Arab delegates come from a variety of backgrounds and are actively driving social and community development activities often linked to advancing the MDGs in their countries.

PepsiCo Latin America Beverages is sponsoring 19 young leaders who participated in the Eco-Challenge, a competition developed by PepsiCo and the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) for young people from Latin America and the Caribbean to create awareness and solutions for environmental conservation while promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. The delegates come from 14 countries, including Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Argentina, Grenada, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad, Ecuador and Honduras.

On August 4, Luis Montoya, president of PepsiCo Latin America Beverages, will launch the PepsiCo Eco-Challenge 3.0 edition and will present winners from previous editions before the broader UNYA in a session titled "Latin American Youth Speak Out." PepsiCo delegates will also lead panel discussions at the UNYA under the theme of "The Arab Spring and Social Media: Implications for the Future," which highlight the importance of technology in driving the current social change experienced in the region.

Leading up to the UNYA, the PepsiCo delegates took part in a three-day course on youth leadership and the MDGs at Fairleigh Dickinson University. They also visited PepsiCo global headquarters in Purchase, N.Y., where they met with Indra Nooyi and learned about the company's environmental sustainability efforts from leaders within the field.

In addition to sponsoring delegates, PepsiCo is also making changes within its business and collaborating with governments, businesses and nongovernmental organizations around the globe to help achieve the UN MDGs. PepsiCo has made a series of commitments to address hunger, health and environmental sustainability, all of which are aligned with its Performance with Purpose strategy to drive the long-term growth and success of the company.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales each. Our main businesses -- Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi Cola -- also make hundreds of other enjoyable foods and beverages that are respected household names throughout the world. With net revenues of approximately $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment, including by conserving energy and water usage, and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support, and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

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