UN Network for SUN Q2 2017 Quarterly Update

UN Network for SUN (UNN) communications, materials, meetings & events

• The  French and  Spanish versions of the UN Network for SUN Strategy (2016-2020) are now available on the REACH website. A few minor changes were also made in the  English version.
• The UNN Nutrition Capacity Assessment Guidance Package is now available in French. View Part 1: Guidance Note (English | Français) and Part 2: Tools and Resources (English | Français).
• The first webinar of the new UNN webinar series was held on 21st June and conducted in English and French. The webinar focused on Multi-sectoral mapping of nutrition actions, profiling the REACH mapping process and tool (SUN-PMT) in the new web-based platform.
• A web article profiling the new UNN webinar series, which are being conducted in collaboration with the World Bank’s SecureNutrition platform, is available  online.
• The  UNN Quarterly Update for the first quarter of 2017 was posted online.
• The REACH Annual Report, highlighting its main achievements in 2016, is now available on the REACH website.
• Web articles about selected developments supported by REACH at the country level have been published on the REACH website (e.g. Burkina Faso,  Chad and Mali).
• An  ENN Blog on Myanmar acknowledges REACH support to the government on the nutrition stock- taking exercise, which is largely drawing upon REACH analytical tools.

Developments at the UN Agencies and other UN nutrition bodies

• A new draft of the  work programme for the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) is available along with supporting documents  such as FAQs. The Nutrition Decade’s work programme was referred to in the  A70/30 report that was discussed and noted on 30th  May at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. The Outcome of the ICN2 report was presented to the FAO Council in July, and will be presented to the UN General Assembly in September. FAO and  IFAD have prepared a document, articulating how they will contribute to the Nutrition Decade.
• WHO’s Ambition and Action in Nutrition from 2016 to 2025 was published. The document defines the unique value of WHO for advancing nutrition, the WHO nutrition vision and mission, the theory of change and the Organization’s 6 priorities for the decade.
• WHO, UNICEF and The World Bank recently released the  new joint child malnutrition estimates.
• A  new process for prioritizing nutrition topics for WHO guideline development has recently been launched, including  an  online  consultation tool  to  further  facilitate  a  participatory  approach. In addition, a Guideline Development Tracking Tool is available, which provides an overview of progress on guidelines being developed by WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development.
• Two new WHO policy briefs are now available: one on Double duty actions and the other on the Double burden of malnutrition.
• WHO released a new publication on the  Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) which provides an analysis of the current status of the BFHI in countries around the world.
• FAO and Bioversity International have jointly published  Guidelines on assessing biodiverse foods in dietary assessment surveys at national, regional and community levels.
• An updated version of the FAO/INFOODS Food Composition Database for Biodiversity Version 4.0 (BioFoodComp4.0) and FAO/INFOODS Analytical Food Composition Database Version 2.0 (AnFooD2.0) were recently released, both available  online.
• An FAO/INFOODS Global Database for Pulses on Dry Mater Basis (PulsesDM1.0) is now available on the INFOODS website in addition to its uPulses1.0 database, which provides such data on a fresh weight basis.
• An IFAD report is available, which maps its nutrition-sensitive interventions and provides an in-depth analysis of trends in mainstreaming nutrition in the East and Southern Africa region.
• In  June,  UNICEF  launched  its  Annual  Results  Report  2016  Nutrition, summarizing how UNICEF, working with partners at the global, regional and country levels, contributed to results in Nutrition in 2016.
• UNICEF supported the launch of The State of Severe Malnutrition website in late May (English | French), providing a comprehensive overview of all resources – including data – on acute malnutrition.
• UNICEF released the 4th Issue of the MICS Newsletter, which is available in English, French and Spanish.
• The  newsletter  highlights recent  developments  such as  the  ongoing regional  workshops  on the forthcoming MICS6 surveys, most of which will provide baseline data for many SDG indicators.
• Pakistan’s newly developed Nutrition Management Information System/web portal was recently launched by Ministry of National Health Services for Regulation and Coordination and UNICEF (click on the Dashboard tab in the top-right corner, followed by the Nutrition link/icon).
• On 11th April, a national consultation was held in Islamabad on the Fill the Nutrient Gap (FNG) analysis that was recently concluded in Pakistan, using the new WFP tool. A similar dissemination workshop was held in Lao PDR in May. The findings from these FNG analyses can inform decision-making on multi-sectoral nutrition actions to improve the affordability and consumption of nutritious diets. In addition to these countries and the FNG pilots in  El Salvador, Ghana and Madagascar, the tool is being used in other countries (e.g. Cambodia, Guatemala, Mozambique and Sri Lanka).
• WFP has also recently held various technical meetings on the FNG analysis at the global level with institutions such as IFPRI and the Sackler Institute with other presentations planned, including at the International Congress of Nutrition in October.
• WFP in collaboration with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) has issued a summary report on the findings from the mVAM for nutrition feasibility study in Kenya. The report indicates that Computer- Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) could be used to rapidly collect data on Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) and Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD).
• View the  report from  Ecuador’s  Cost of  Malnutrition  Study undertaken  by the  UN  Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Coordination Ministry of Social Development and WFP in collaboration with the Ministries of Education, Public Health, and Economic and Social Inclusion.
• A new joint report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and WFP was released on The Cost of the Double Burden of Malnutrition: Social and Economic Impact in Chile, Ecuador, and Mexico.
• WFP has released  Nutrifami, a free application that allows families and communities in Colombia to learn about nutrition, healthy diets and good eating habits.
• According to the  latest ILO report on the rights of pregnant and lactating women, 75% of countries (121 out of 160) by end 2014 provide daily nursing breaks for mothers after they return from maternity leave, leaving room for improvement.
• The following UNSCN’s Discussion Papers are available in all six UN languages:  By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition and leave no one behind and Global governance for nutrition and the role of UNSCN.
• The  42nd issue of the UNSCN News is available and places a Spotlight on the Nutrition Decade.
• The UNSCN Summer Quarterly Update was disseminated in late June, highlighting various UNSCN developments as well as other news (e.g. the Nutrition Decade, CFS).
• The  new Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) strategy was endorsed by its partners during its annual meeting in Beirut in late March. The strategy will guide its work from 2017 to 2020 and also identifies priorities for UNICEF as the Cluster Lead Agency. In April, the GNC welcomed its newest partner,  AVSI Foundation – People for Development.
• The Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) has produced a dashboard, aggregating information about the 23 Humanitarian Response Plans and Regional Refugee Response Plans. The dashboard illustrates the population in need versus population targeted and funding requirements for each response.
• A new Nutrition Humanitarian Technical Advisory Body was recently established to address technical issues related to nutrition in emergencies in a more systematic manner in both cluster and non- cluster countries and to foster linkages with normative guidance processes. This body will be led by UNICEF, as the Cluster Lead Agency, and a civil society organization, as a co-lead.
• The Inter-cluster Nutrition Working Group is leading the development of a training package to support cluster coordinators and partners in applying nutrition-sensitive approaches. To this end, a consultation was held in Geneva on 27-29th June.
• The GNC is supporting Save the Children USA with respect to the  revision of the Nutrition Standards stipulated in the Sphere Handbook.
• The interim operational guidance for CMAM programming in exceptional circumstances has been finalized and is articulated in the appendix to the Decision Tool for MAM in Emergencies. This guidance was developed in an effort to address shortfalls in the continuum of care for acute malnutrition in emergencies.
• The Yemen Nutrition Cluster published a  quarterly bulletin, which covers the period from January to March 2017.
• UNOCHA recently released a new report entitled  The New Way of Working, which outlines ways for development and humanitarian actors to help to transcend the humanitarian-development divide and work towards the achievement of the SDGs.

Other international meetings & events with considerable UN participation

• The Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination, in collaboration with the UNSCN, organized a  panel discussion on Climate Change and Nutrition in New York on 20 April 2017, which highlighted the links between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, drawing upon the findings from the recent UNSCN’s study on climate change, diets, nutrition and health.
• A joint meeting of the Global Food Security and Nutrition Clusters on “Promoting an Integrated Famine Prevention Package: Breaking the Bottlenecks” was held on 26th April in Rome, bringing together over 25 partners working in Northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
• A Nutrition Capacity Workshop was held in Ouagadougou on 3rd-4th May. The event was organized by WAHO, UNICEF and the African Development Bank.
• Two joint CFS/UNSCN  events were held in May, both at FAO Headquarters. The first event took place on 9th May and covered Investments for Healthy Food Systems, while the second event (26th May) focused on Impact Assessment of Policies to Support Healthy Food Environments and Healthy Diets.
• WHO (WPRO) organised an Expert Consultation on a background document regarding Protecting children from the harmful impact of food marketing. The event was held in Manila, Philippines on 10-12th May and was attended by UNICEF, among other stakeholders.
• A  scoping meeting was held on 11-12th   May for the planned new  WHO  recommendations for breastfeeding counselling and support, including approaches for improving practices in emergency settings and among vulnerable populations. UNICEF participated in the event along with other actors.
• A series of UNICEF regional workshops were held, as highlighted below.
  • On 17-19th  May, UNICEF HQ and its Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO) organized a workshop in Nairobi on Accelerating Effective and Sustainable Management of SevereAcute Malnutrition with a view to collectively identifying practical and evidence-based solutions to the barriers preventing effective integration and scale-up of SAM management at the country level. The   conclusions of  the workshop   (together with   the country commitments) will guide further consultations and support to countries.
  • In May 2017, UNICEF ESARO also held its biannual regional network meeting, bringing together nutrition and WASH staff from 21 countries to better align nutrition-WASH programming in order to reach regional stunting reduction goals.
  • A Regional conference was held on Stop Stunting |No Time To Waste – Scaling up Care for Children with   Severe   Wasting   in   South   Asia   in   Kathmandu   (16-18th     May).   The   event   brought together participants from various stakeholder groups, including regional and global experts, and concluded with the articulation of a call to action and country level action plans.
  • On 15-18th   May, UNICEF’s Office for  Central and  Eastern Europe and  the  Commonwealth of Independent States organized a regional Health, Nutrition and Early Childhood Development network meeting in Chisinau, Moldova to share experiences and lessons learned.
  • On 19th-21st June, UNICEF HQ and its Regional Office for West and Central Africa held a workshop in Dakar on Accelerating Effective and Sustainable Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition.

• The 70th World Health Assembly was held on 22nd-31st May in Geneva, where member states elected Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the new Director-General of WHO. Under agenda item 15.4, the outcome of the ICN2 was discussed; WHO’s implementation Plan on Ending Childhood Obesity was discussed under agenda item 15.5 (report A70/31) and a resolution adopted, among other agenda items. Documents from this 70th WHA sessions are available  online. Various nutrition-related events took place at the margins of the WHA.
• Norway, in collaboration with FAO, WHO and other partners, organized a side-event on Food from the Ocean in New York on 6th June.
• The annual EAT forum took place in Stockholm on 12-13th June, providing an opportunity to take stock of efforts to transform the food system in order to address nutrition. During the forum UNICEF, co- hosted a side-event on The changing face of diets and nutrition in Africa.
• FANTA, USAID, UNICEF and WHO jointly organized a technical consultation to Reconsider, Refine, and Extend Child Feeding indicators on 20th-22nd June (New York).
• UNICEF worked with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Alive & Thrive and the National Assembly of Burkina Faso to organize an inter-regional parliamentary seminar on Promoting child nutrition in Western and Central Africa. The seminar was held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on 27-29th June.
• Given the links between soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection and poor nutritional status, UNICEF staff helped to review current evidence on STH infection in girls and women of reproductive age and to identify operational strategies to control infection in an Advisory Group meeting, co-hosted by WHO and McGill University on 28-30th June.
• A workshop on a series of nutrition-sensitive value chains analyses was held in Abuja, Nigeria with stakeholders from the government (including IFAD-funded project staff), the private sector, foundations, and research organizations. The workshop is part of an IFAD initiative, funded by the Government of Germany, to develop a guide on how to design nutrition-sensitive value chains. A similar workshop will be held next week in Indonesia.