Top government officials in Cambodia meet with SUN Movement Coordinator to tackle malnutrition

On 20 February 2017, Gerda Verburg, SUN Movement Coordinator and UN Assistant Secretary-General, met with the Cambodian government to discuss progress in tackling malnutrition. During her two day visit, Ms. Verburg met with policy makers and champions from multiple sectors to discuss Cambodia’s the path towards achieving the sustainable development goals and better nutrition for all.

H.E. Sok Silo, Deputy Secretary-General of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) and SUN Movement Focal Point, welcomed Ms. Verburg to Phnom Penh and outlined the road towards 2030 and the attainment of the transformative Global Goals. H.E. Ngy Chanphal, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior and Vice-Chair of CARD, reiterated that Cambodia is proud to be a member of the SUN Movement and that he takes great pleasure in seeing so many key stakeholders rallying around and supporting Governmental plans and efforts – with the common goal of ending malnutrition in all its forms.

In a bid to look ahead towards the next fifteen years, H.E. Choud Yin Sim, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health and H.E. Mam Am Not, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, stressed the importance of working closely together for nutrition improvement and food security – to ensure good nutrition for all, even before 2030. UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Claire Van der Vaeren, expressed her interest in the mission and vision of the SUN Movement and its innovative approaches to bring together the nutrition community

I am impressed by the way Cambodia is working to end malnutrition. Your story is a successful one, for one important reason: you are bringing more people, the right people, to the table, also across sectors such as health, social protection, water, sanitation, hygiene and agriculture. This breaking down of silos – integral to the attainment of the 2030 Agenda – is exactly what we need to see more of, not only in your sub-region, but across the world.”

Gerda Verburg, SUN Movement Coordinator and United Nations Assistant Secretary-General.

Cambodia joined the SUN Movement on 26 June 2014 with a letter from Chhay Ly Yim, the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development. Since joining, Cambodia has established networks with United Nations agencies, civil society groups and the donor community. Most of these stakeholders have been successful in aligning their work with national nutrition policies and strategies – in particular, the National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition (2014- 2018). In 2014-2015, 90% of the Joint Monitoring Indicators (JMIs) were developed – based on mutual accountability for development results.

This visit formed part of Ms. Verburg’s sub-regional mission to countries in Southeast Asia throughout February and March 2017. Meetings were held in SUN Countries Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia followed by a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand to forge bonds with regional entities. A meeting took place with ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, H.E. Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee during her time in Indonesia.