Global Congress on Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes

Overview

To assist countries in strengthening their efforts to fully implement the Code, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) convened the first Global Congress on Implementation of the Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes on June 20-22, 2023. Delegates from over 100 countries around the world gathered at the WHO Headquarters to strengthen the protection of breastfeeding through the Code. The Congress covered six key themes that are essential for effective Code implementation:

1. Building political will;
2. Identifying and managing industry interference;
3. Implementing the Code into national law;
4. Strengthening coordination and governance mechanisms in national laws;
5. Monitoring and enforcing Code laws;
6. Take action!

The objectives of the Congress were:

• To increase knowledge and skills of national actors on strategies to end the unethical marketing of breast-milk substitutes, bottles, and teats,
• To develop national roadmaps/workplans to strengthen legislation, monitoring and enforcement of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, and
• To build regional networks to share information and support of national action on the Code.