Milestones
Rome Declaration on Nutrition
By Ramya Rajagopalan (ramya.rajagopalan@gmail.com), Programme Associate, ICSF
The Second International Conference on Nutrition, jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to address the problem of malnutrition in all its forms and to identify opportunities for tackling them in the next decades, was held in Rome from 19 to 21 November 2014.
The Conference Outcome Document recognizes both that malnutrition poses multiple challenges to inclusive and sustainable development and to health, and that the causes of malnutrition are complex and multidimensional, including inter alia, poverty; lack of access to sufficient and adequate food; poor sanitation and hygiene; and lack of access to education, quality health systems and safe drinking water. It recognizes also the need to address the impacts of climate change and other environmental factors on food security and nutrition, and acknowledges that since trade is a key element in achieving food security and nutrition, trade policies must be conducive to fostering food security and nutrition for all.
The Conference Outcome Document calls for a common vision for global action to end all forms of malnutrition, with particular attention to the special needs of children, women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, other vulnerable groups. It urges that nutrition and other related policies pay special attention to women and empower women and girls, thereby contributing to women’s full and equal access to social protection and resources. Further the Conference calls for coordinated public policies to cover food and agriculture systems, including crops, livestock, forestry, and fisheries and aquaculture. It acknowledges that family farmers and small holders, notably women farmers, play an important role in reducing malnutrition and should be supported by integrated and multisectoral public policies, as appropriate, that raise their productive capacity and incomes and strengthen their resilience.
Finally, the Conference Outcome Document recommends to the United Nations General Assembly to endorse the Rome Declaration on Nutrition, as well as the Framework for Action which provides a set of voluntary policy options and strategies for use by governments, and to consider declaring a Decade of Action on Nutrition from 2016 to 2025.
