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Central and South Asia launch SUN Movement Strategy for 2021-2025

On 25 August 2021, a Central and South Asia virtual regional event, attended by some 120 participants from all over the world, took place to launch the SUN Movement Strategy for its third phase (2021-2025). Hosted by Dr Kiran Rupakhetee, Joint Secretary of the National…

August 26, 2021 - Last update: February 10, 2023

On 25 August 2021, a Central and South Asia virtual regional event, attended by some 120 participants from all over the world, took place to launch the SUN Movement Strategy for its third phase (2021-2025).

Hosted by Dr Kiran Rupakhetee, Joint Secretary of the National Planning Commission and SUN Country Coordinator of Nepal, who also acts as a SUN Movement Executive Committee member, the event brought together a range of SUN Coordinators/Focal Points from countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Yemen, in addition to representatives from the SUN Business Network, the SUN Civil Society Network, UN Nutrition and the Youth Leaders for Nutrition. A full list of speakers can be found below.

“No single actor can solve the malnutrition puzzle, “said Dr Kiran. “Improved nutrition helps break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and equity,” he stressed in his opening.

Following a brief introduction about the Strategy – what it is and what it aims to achieve – SUN Movement Coordinator Gerda Verburg facilitated an interactive panel discussion, to discuss, in practice, how the region will take forward this new strategy, aiming to eradicate all forms of malnutrition and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

“The beauty of the SUN Movement is that it is country-owned, and country-driven. But in a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder way. Nutrition is the engine of socio-economic development,” she argued.

Some key areas of focus during the event, in pursuit of the Strategy’s four Strategic Objectives, included: the need for reinforcing local-level actions for maximum impact, supporting humanitarian nutrition actions in conflict and fragile-affected States, strengthening the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises to better respond to country priorities and coordinating UN-level actions, also in the context of the Nutrition Year of Action, also towards the UN Food Systems Summit, to be held in September and the Nutrition for Growth Summit in December. Cambodia’s Youth Leader for Nutrition, Bormey Chhun, also stressed the importance of brining young women and men to the nutrition decision-making table. “The SUN Executive Committee is now open to youth candidates, which is a great start to make sure we are at the table,” she argued.


SPEAKERS:
• Dr Kiran Rupakhetee, Division Chief/Joint Secretary, Good Governance and Social Development Division, National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal and SUN Government Focal Point and Executive Committee member
• Ms Kazi Zebunnessa Begum, Additional Secretary (World Health and Public Health), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh, and SUN Focal Point
• Dr Hamid Jalil, Member, Food Security, Climate Change and Nutrition, Planning Commission of Pakistan
• Ms Karima Ahmed Al-Hada’a, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation of Yemen, Planning and Liaison Specialist, SUN Secretariat
• Mr Irshad Danish, Global Advocacy Consultant, Asia Chairperson and Asia Regional Coordinator SUN Civil Society Network and National Coordinator, SUN Academia & Research Network Pakistan
• Ms F Farzana J Khan, Consultant, Regional SUN Business Network Coordinator & Advisor, WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific
• Ms Bormey Chhun, Youth Leader for Nutrition and CSN Steering Group member
• Ms Stineke Oenema, Executive Secretary, UN Nutrition
• Dr Dil Bahadur Gurung, Honourable Member and Convenor of the Food Systems Summit, National Planning Commission of Nepal

Details

SUN Global Support System
SUN Business Network SUN Civil Society Network SUN Donor Network
Country
Yemen Afghanistan Bangladesh Cambodia Kyrgyz Republic Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Tajikistan