Nutrition conference to be held from 4-7 November

Kathmandu, Oct. 23

Nepal is hosting the fifth Global Gathering of Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement for the first time in Asia from 4-7 November in Kathmandu.

The conference that will carry the theme 'Nourishing planet and people together' will be inaugurated by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

 It will witness the participation of head of the states or governments or senior representatives of about 80 countries.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent invitation to all the governments of the members of SUN Movement and other countries," said Dr. Usha Jha, Member of the National Planning Commission. "High-government officials of the federal and provincial governments, heads of various government departments, chiefs of local governments, chief of diplomatic missions in Kathmandu, academician, development partners and private sector representatives will participate from Nepal."

"We hope that the conference will provide a good platform to exchange experiences and good examples in nutrition and development from around the world. It will also be an opportunity to forge cooperation among the governments, assess the past achievements and formulate new strategy to meet the national and global target," said Brenda Killen, Director of SUN Movement.

The gathering will also obtain commitment from the member countries in reducing the malnutrition and create collaboration to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on nutrition.

"Nepal has achieved satisfactory results in terms of nutrition and has significantly reduced the number of stunted children over the last three decades. It has created a well-functioning structure in government," said Killen. She suggested the government to focus on gender on nutrition aspects.

She said that the 2019 Gathering will aim at setting ambitions for phase three of the movement (2021-2015), sharing of knowledge, progress and challenges of SUN member countries and ensuring renewed commitments for improving nutrition in the lead up to the Tokyo 2020 Nutrition for Growth Summit.

The conference will deliberate on political commitment to SUN movement, building food system, undernutrition and obesity, scaling up nutrition resilience, emerging business practices and consumer trends, gender equality, progress in nutrition, better data base, maternal and child nutrition, multi-stakeholder coordination, universal health coverage and other related issues.

"The conference is a huge opportunity for Nepal which is the early riser in the SUN Movement," said Dr. Kiran Rupakhetee, Spokesperson of the NPC.

Nepal has 28.6 per cent multi-dimensional poverty which primarily is the result of the malnutrition and children not getting opportunity to enrol in the school.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 October 2019.