43rd Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)

CFS expectations and opportunities for engagement 

Towards achieving the outcomes of the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Aim

The side event aims to provide members of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) with the latest information on the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action on Nutrition and to offer an an interactive platform for discussion on expectations and possible ways of the engagement under the Decade.

Agenda

Participants will be welcomed by the CFS Chair, followed by a keynote address and a framing presentation about the Decade. A Panel of country representatives and other CFS stakeholders will be invited to share their vision for the Decade; followed by an interactive discussion about the expectations and opportunities for broader engagement during the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition.

Background

The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2016–2025 the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition, a Member State-driven and a global effort convened by FAO and WHO to set, track and achieve policy commitments to end all forms of malnutrition. The Decade offers an umbrella for Governments and other relevant stakeholders to unite around a common programme of work and increase visibility, coordination, efficiency and effectiveness of nutrition action at all levels worldwide with the aim to achieve the existing global nutrition targets by 2025 and the nutrition-related targets in the Agenda for Sustainable Development by 2030.

The CFS is specifically mentioned in the UN General Assembly resolution as a multi-stakeholder platform to support the implementation of the Decade in line with its mandate. The goal of the Decade is to increase policy processes and activities across sectors at national, regional and global levels to implement the ICN2 Rome Declaration on Nutrition and the related Framework for Action.

FAO and WHO are establishing an inclusive process for their Members, UN and other international organizations and for other relevant stakeholders to contribute to achieving the goal of the Decade with concrete commitments for action. Stakeholders are encouraged to set, track and achieve specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) commitments. This will help all stakeholders understand what action is intended and improve tracking.

Key messages

• The Decade, under the normative framework of ICN2 and the SDGs, marks a new direction in global nutrition action: Our shared goal is to end malnutrition in all its forms.
• Our immediate task is to translate the commitments of ICN2 and the SDGs into effective action: in the form of policies, programs, and partnerships.
• Governments are leading, and are engaging and working with all stakeholders.
• The work programme is being developed through an open, inclusive process that builds upon existing and emerging alliances, institutions, initiatives, movements and platforms.
• This event is about sharing the vision for the Decade and assuming ownership, through concrete and effective action by CFS inline with its mandate.

Expected outcomes

Participants are expected to gain a better understanding of what the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition entails and discuss potential ways of their engagement in the Decade within the CFS. This includes:

• The relevance of the Decade for the work of CFS, in particular on food security and improved nutrition addressing malnutrition in all its forms;
• The preparation and implementation process of the work programme for the Decade;
• Ways the Decade is contributing to the achievement of Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals.

Organizing partners

The side-event is co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the two lead agencies of the Decade of Action on Nutrition. The event is open to Member States Delegations and Missions at the CFS43, and representatives from the UN system, business, civil society, financial institutions, regional bodies, parliamentarians and donors that work in multi-sectoral ways in support of the Decade of Action on Nutrition and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

CFS Engagement in Advancing Nutrition

CFS is in a position to make a significant contribution to on-going efforts to fight malnutrition in all its forms, taking into account its mandate and comparative advantages. These efforts include supporting the Decade for Action on Nutrition, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the implementation of the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) outcomes and in particular those related to reshaping current food systems. A proposal for CFS engagement in advancing nutrition which has been prepared by an Open Ended Working Group on Nutrition will be presented to the CFS43 Plenary for endorsement.