WHO Member States briefing on Food Systems and the Global Strategy for Food Safety

Background

In September 2021, UN Secretary-General António convened the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The UNFSS created a global moment to catalyse action towards food systems transformation for people, planet and prosperity.

As a UNFSS UN anchor agency, WHO has advocated for health to be central to food systems transformation, including during previous Member States briefings with Geneva Permanent Missions. The Summit outcomes confirmed this essential focus with ‘nourish all people’ emerging as one of the five key action areas for food systems transitions. A core focus of these advocacy efforts have been the seven WHO ‘food systems for health’ priority actions. These actions complement the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) agenda and aim to accelerate system actions across food systems towards the 2030 SDG goal to end malnutrition in all its forms. WHO will now carry forward action on food systems through supporting Member States in nourishing and implementing their food systems pathways, contributing to the newly established Food Systems Coordination Hub, as well as working with multi-sector partners and Member States under the umbrella of UNFSS Coalitions such as the Coalition of Action for Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems.

Food safety is of critical importance to healthy food systems, and a key ‘food systems for health’ priority action. The UNFSS provided a platform for WHO to engage with Member States in advancing development of the draft WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety (2022-2030). This strategy responds to the 2020 World Health Assembly resolution on “Strengthening efforts on food safety” and Member State requests to update the global strategy to respond to current and emerging challenges. The proposed strategy reflects feedback received through a comprehensive consultation process with Member States and governmental institutions, United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, private sector entities, and individuals working in public health and food safety. Developed by the WHO Secretariat with the advice of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Food Safety: Safer food for better health, the vision of the draft strategy is to ensure that all people, everywhere, consume safe and healthy food so as to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases. The EB150 discussed the updated WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety and recommended the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly to adopt it. Its implementation will support the realization of food safety commitments emanating from the UNFSS, particularly in the support WHO provides towards nourishing country pathways and supporting healthy diets, school meals and One Health agendas. 

Objective

2022 is the year for working towards the realization of commitments made during the 2021 UNFSS and launch implementation of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety. Upon the request of Member States, this two-hour briefing aims to update the Geneva Permanent Mission on the latest UNFSS outcomes and create a dialogue on the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety. This briefing provides an opportunity for asking questions to the different speakers who each have a role in food systems transformation and the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety.

Objectives of the briefing are:

• To share information about the different processes and coalitions emanating from the Food Systems Summit; with a focus on food safety as a key ‘food systems for health’ priority action
• To encourage Member States, and Geneva Permanent Missions, to be actively involved in the different food systems transformation coordination mechanisms; and
• To update Member States about the status of development of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety;
• To present the next steps towards the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy for Food Safety.

About the briefing

This briefing is for Member States’ representatives. The meeting is virtual and interpretation services will be provided in the six UN languages. The briefing will be live cast via Zoom (via a protected link) and will be recorded for reporting purposes. Country representatives of the Coalition of Action for Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems will also be invited to attend.

Proposed agenda

Moderated by Dr Francesco Branca, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety (NFS)