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The 39th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) paid increased attention to nutrition.

A panel session on Scaling Up Nutrition in the Horn of Africa was held during the AgriKnowledge ShareFair on 25th October.

In September, Kenya’s Parliament passed the Breast Milk Substitutes Regulation and Control Bill. In doing so, the country has committed to adopting recommendations put forward in the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, which aims to guide countries in supporting and promoting breastfeeding as an ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants.

High-level Guatemalan Government leaders, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, and representatives from the UN and civil society organizations came together at the 2012 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting to announce a new partnership seeking to advance Guatemala’s progress in Scaling Up Nutrition.

The Zero Hunger Plan being implemented in Guatemala is a bold, multi-sectoral strategy aiming to reduce chronic malnutrition in children by 10% by the end of 2015. A system for evaluating the impact of the plan’s 138 interventions is being put in place. Mobile phones and new digital technologies are being used to help gather information on 58 indicators.

Read the latest news and updates on nutrition from around the world

On CNN’s ‘Amanpour’ renowned correspondent Christiane Amanpour featured an interview with UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and famed singer/songwriter Angelique Kidjo, framed around her recent visit to Kenya where stunting that impacts more than 2 million children. The Government of Kenya recently confirmed its intention to join the SUN Movement.

CNN and UNICEF have come together to call global attention to the silent crisis of stunting that impacts over 165 million children under five – with more than 90 percent living in Africa and Asia. In partnering with UNICEF to tell the story of stunting, CNN is helping to raise awareness of this pressing problem, and the opportunities to change the lives of millions of children, mothers and families by improving nutrition in early life.

The theme of World Food Day 2012 was Agricultural Cooperatives – Key to Feeding the World. It highlights the role of cooperatives in improving food and nutrition security and contributing to the eradication of hunger. World Food Day has prompted partners and stakeholders in the SUN Movement to develop the following resources.

Two SUN Government Focal Point Meetings were held on 26 and 28 September 2012, coinciding with the 67th United Nations General Assembly and the High-Level Meeting on Scaling Up Nutrition hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The SUN Movement has released a new SUN Movement Strategy for 2012-2015 and updated Progress Report for the period 2011-2012.

The SUN Movement marked a second year of progress with national leaders and supporters participating in a series of events held during the 67th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York from 25-28 September.

The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 (SOFI) report, jointly released by FAO, IFAD and WFP reports that nearly 870 million people – roughly one in eight people globally- are chronically undernourished.

Committed countries are at the core of the SUN Movement. Any country working to deliver progress and action to scale up nutrition can participate in the SUN Movement.

The Government of Madagascar officially launched the national SUN Movement on 12 September and presented its road map for implementation.

Kenya and Burundi are the two latest countries to signal their commitment to scaling up nutrition.

The Vice President (VP) of the republic, Chief Samuel Sam Sumana on behalf of His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone launched the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Initiative on 2 October 2012 in Freetown.

As an FAO Special Ambassador and SUN Lead Group member, the First Lady of Peru Nadine Heredia, was invited to serve as FAO Special Ambassador for the International Year of Quinoa in recognition of her support to boost food and nutrition security.

The Public Health Ministry of Kenya has launched a fortification drive in Nairobi, coinciding with the passing of a new mandatory fortification law to improve the nutrition and health status of the population.

The SUN Civil Society Network is now finalizing the nomination process for the SUN Task Force C transition into the Global SUN Civil Society Network.