Quarterly Update | UN Network for SUN

UN Network for SUN documents, communications & materials

• A revised version of the UN Network for SUN/REACH 2.0 strategy, which takes into account the outcomes of the March F2F UN Network Steering Committee meeting, was circulated among the Network in March. Current plans foresee the finalization of the strategy by the end of May.
• The French and Spanish translations of key documents (e.g. FAQ, one-pager, Terms of Reference) on the UN Network for SUN are now available on the UN Network webpage of the SUN website.
• The United Nations Global Nutrition Agenda is also now available in French and Spanish.
• The UN Network for SUN/REACH Secretariat has drafted an Explanatory Note on the Agenda 2030, SUN Movement (including the UN support), WHA targets, Zero Hunger Challenge and ICN2 Rome Declaration Commitments to clarify the relationships between these complementary efforts.
• The UN Network for SUN/REACH Secretariat has also prepared Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that help differentiate the UN Network for SUN and REACH.

UN Network key actions and supporting tools 

• The new webpage on UN Network for SUN tools and resources is available (in English, French and Spanish), which includes a range of UN Network-specific materials as well as links to the websites of member agencies, REACH, the UNSCN and the Global Nutrition Cluster.
• The United Nations Agenda for the Reduction of Chronic Undernutrition (2015-2019), developed through the UN Network for SUN in Mozambique, was approved by the Heads of Agencies. This work follows that of the UN Nutrition Inventory exercise, which was completed in 2015. Learn more about how REACH facilitated this development.
• The results from the UN Nutrition Inventory undertaken in Burkina Faso were presented to and were well-received by the Heads of Agencies on 9^th The exercise engaged the five UN agencies, which comprise the UN Network in-country (FAO, UNICEF, UNFPA, WFP and WHO), and has highlighted the need for strategic planning discussions about UN nutrition support.
• The results from the UN Nutrition Inventory undertaken in the Philippines were presented to the UN Network focal points during a half-day retreat in late March. The Philippines Inventory involved the following five UN agencies: FAO, ILO, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.
• The UN Nutrition Inventory remains ongoing in Bangladesh, Haiti, Mali, Rwanda and Tanzania.
• An orientation call on the UN Nutrition Inventory was conducted with the UN Network focal points in Liberia and a Program Officer from the WFP Regional Bureau on 31^st March.

UN participation at key meetings and events

January

• On 1 January 2016, the SCN moved from WHO in Geneva to FAO in Rome. IFAD Vice-President, Michel Mordasini, has been nominated as the new UNSCN Chair. A face-to-face meeting with SCN members was held on 14 January 2016 in Rome.
• On 27 January 2016, during the week of the WHO Executive Board meeting (EB138), the WHO Nutrition Department organized, in collaboration with UN sister agencies, an event on the Global Nutrition Report.

February

• The UN Network for SUN/REACH Secretariat facilitated consultations with UN colleagues at the regional and global levels in early February to articulate the UN Network’s contributions to the development of the SUN Roadmap. The discussions helped define the role and responsibilities of the UN Network within the SUN Movement and prepare for the forthcoming SUN Network Facilitators’ meeting.

• On 2 February 2015, FAO hosted a workshop on costing, financial tracking and economic financial analysis for nutrition-sensitive agriculture, bringing together experts and colleagues from FAO, IFAD, WHO, the World Bank, the UN Network for SUN/REACH Secretariat, the SUN Movement Secretariat and MQ SUN. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to share lessons learned about the different approaches and to foster collaboration among agencies/organizations and across disciplines.
• On 4 February 2015, aTechnical Expert Advisory Group on Nutrition Monitoring (TEAM) meeting was held at UNICEF Headquarters. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the priorities of the group, operational modalities and resource mobilization for TEAM activities as well as to share the TEAM ToR and workplan.
• On 10 February 2016, UNICEF organized a webinar on the latest series of papers in The Lancet regarding the benefits of breastfeeding.
• On 12 February 2016, members of the UN Network for SUN/REACH Secretariat participated in the SUN Network Facilitators Meeting. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss both common and network-specific roles and responsibilities needed for achieving the SUN 2020 vision.
• On 24 February 2016, the Accelerated Reduction Effort on Anaemia (AREA) Community of Practice (COP) organized a hands-on webinar on the use of the WHA target tracking tool.

March

• A face-to-face UN Network for SUN/REACH Steering Committee meeting was held in Rome on 9th March, where the zero draft of the UN Network/REACH Strategy (2016-2020) was presented and key aspects of the document were agreed upon.
• On 9th March, the Health Data Collaborative (HDC) was launched in New York to help build country capacity for health data and to track progress towards the SDGs. This informal partnership involves international agencies (e.g. WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDs), government, philanthropies, donors and academics. One of the first outputs of HDC was the development of the Global Reference List of 100 Core Health Indicators, which includes selected nutrition indicators.
• A face-to-face meeting of the UNSCN Steering Committee took place in Rome on 10^th The meeting provided the opportunity to review and discuss the UNSCN’s Strategic Plan and Communications Plan (2016-2020), identifying opportunities for alignment with the work-in-progress UN Network for SUN/REACH 2.0 strategy and culminating in the successive finalization of the UNSCN’s Strategic Plan later that month.
• The Section Head of the Nutritional and Health-related Environmental Studies Section at IAEA met with members of the UN Network for SUN/REACH Secretariat on 11^th March to explore synergies between IAEA and the UN Network for SUN. Further information about the IAEA’s work in human nutrition is available online at http://www-naweb.iaea.org/NAHU/index.html and https://nucleus.iaea.org/HHW/Nutrition/index.html.
• The UN Network for SUN/REACH Secretariat participated in a SUN Network Facilitators meeting in London on 21^st March, where the work plans and budgets of the respective SUN Networks were reviewed and discussed, with a view to consolidating budgets of the respective SUN Network Secretariats in April.
• An event on “Investing in women’s nutrition for healthy, smart and more sustainable choices” took place on 21^st March in New York as part of the 60th Annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The event was organized by FAO, UNICEF and WHO, and highlighted the role of good nutrition for all, particularly women, to support the implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The UN Network for SUN Secretariat contributed to the review of the SUN M&E Framework through a workshop organized by the SMS in preparation for the 2016 Country Self-Assessment.

Other key UN developments

• FAO circulated a final newsletter on its advocacy and research project on “Improving the dietary intakes and nutritional status of infants and young children through improved food security and complementary feeding counselling”, which was implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Justus Liebig University Giessen in Germany.
• On 11^th March, WFP issued an Executive Director’s Circular on the Promotion of breastfeeding in WFP Programmes in recognition of the multiple benefits conferred by breastfeeding to both lactating women and children.
• WFP has initiated a Country Strategic Review (CSR) process to inform the development of Country Strategic Plans in an effort to help articulate how WFP can help countries meet the SGDs. The exercise employs a multi-pronged approach, encompassing research and analysis, bilateral meetings/consultations with key stakeholders, a consultation workshop and a validation workshop.
• WHO recently updated the Interim Guidance on Clinical care for survivors of Ebola virus disease so as to take into account emerging evidence on the Ebola virus disease (EVD) and breastmilk.
• WHO launched a mobile phone application for its e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA), an online library of evidence-informed guidance for nutrition interventions. eLENAmobile is conducive to settings where internet and/or Wi-Fi connectivity is limited, and may be downloaded through Google Play and the Apple App Store.
• WHO recently created an entry in eLENA on Breastfeeding in the context of Zika virus so as to include the recently released interim guidance on this issue.
• The third edition of the IAEA Nutritional and Health-Related Environmental Studies (NAHRES) Newsletter was issued, profiling new research projects and recent meetings, such as the technical meeting on the effects of living in unsanitary conditions on intestinal integrity and nutrient absorption.
• A series of materials have been posted on the REACH Knowledge Sharing Portal (KSP), which may be accessed via password, such as updated guidance materials on REACH’s SUN Planning & Monitoring Tool and country outputs from other REACH analytical tools/exercises. To request access to the KSP, kindly write to Claudia.Tranquilli@wfp.org.
• The Global Nutrition Cluster recently developed a report on their role in providing technical support to country clusters. The report outlines a series of recommendations, for global nutrition partners and for UNICEF as the Cluster Lead Agency, to help further articulate this role. Additional information is provided in the full report and a summary report.
• The Global Nutrition Cluster also developed a Nutrition Cluster Advocacy Strategic Framework (2016-2019) through a participative process. The framework outlines strategic directions to guide the further development of Nutrition Cluster advocacy efforts at all levels.

Multimedia and online training

• FAO has produced a brief video about the International Year (2016) of Pulses, which highlights how pulses can contribute to improved nutrition and food security, and foster sustainable agriculture.

Learn more about additional UN news stories