Investors Celebrate HIV/AIDS Victory at Coca-Cola
Resolution Approved by 97% of Shareholders

NEW YORK, N.Y.//April 21, 2004//Religious shareholders who are members of the Interfaith Center of Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) saw their resolution on HIV/AIDS approved overwhelmingly today by investors in global beverage giant Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO).

Speaking at the annual shareholders meeting in Wilmington, Delaware, Sister Vicki Bergkamp of the Adorers Of The Blood of Christ said: "HIV's greatest ally is denial and ignorance. And ignorance and denial about HIV are in great supply in most of the world's corporate boardrooms. But when it comes to HIV, ignorance is not bliss, and as faith-based investors, we have a responsibility to waken our companies to this reality."

She continued, "We know this was not an easy step to take. Coca-Cola is taking the first step down a long road. And, without minimizing the length of the road, we appreciate this crucial first step."

The filers of the resolution include the Adorers of the Blood of Christ of Wichita, KS (primary filer), Sisters of St. Joseph of Philadelphia, PA, the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity, Incarnate Word of Houston, TX, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Chicago, IL, the Society of Jesus - Detroit Province, and the Service Employees International Union Master Trust Fund (SEIU).

Coca-Cola is one of eight companies facing ICCR-backed shareholder resolutions on the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. The others are Abbott, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Caterpillar, ChevronTexaco, Merck, Pfizer, and PepsiCo. ICCR investors are also working with Colgate Palmolive, Exxon Mobil, Ford, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, and Proctor & Gamble on the issue.

The resolution filers ask that the board of Coca-Cola review the economic effects on its operations of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as tuberculosis and malaria. Filers asked for a report to shareholders within six months of the company's 2004 annual meeting.

On March 4th, 2004, Coca-Cola issued a statement which read, in part, as follows: "It is in [a] spirit of collaboration that we welcome this opportunity to work with our share owners in coordinating additional resources and skills in the fight against HIV/AIDS ... Upon its publication, the report recommended in the proposal will also be available on our website for review by share owners. The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the proposal regarding report related to global HIV/AIDS pandemic."

This is the first time Coca-Cola has supported a shareholder-initiated resolution.

CONTACT: ICCR Public Health Program Director Daniel Rosan, ICCR, (212) 870-2317 (office), or drosan@iccr.org.