Nutrition

Convenor : Joanna Koch (Associated Country Women of the World)

Objective
The Working Group was established in 1991 to encourage and facilitate effective NGO participation in the 1992 International Conference on Nutrition and its implementation and follow up. In February 1993 the Working Group was formally affiliated to the NGO Committee on the Status of Women. The Working Group aims to highlight the role of nutrition as a key element in achieving wellbeing in all aspects of the life cycle.

There is a current membership of over 35 major INGOs, covering human rights, co-operatives, education, health, women, youth and children's issues, religion, education, refugees, relief and other issues.

Activites
To further these aims the NGO Working Group on Nutrition has undertaken the following activities:

• Mobilised and encouraged NGOs to help implement the 1992 International Conference on Nutrition (ICN) Plan of Action, and the 1996 World Food Summit (WFS) and follow up activities, and to review relevant FAO conferences, councils and meetings
• Contributed to World, UN and other international and national Conferences and Summits
• Promoted dialogue in the UN system, in particular with WHO, FAO, UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation, and relevant UN Commissions, as well as national governments, academia and other stakeholders
• Advocated members and other NGOs to link up and work with ICN National Focal Points, ICN National Planning Committees and ICN National Plans of Action, and the WFS Committee
• Promoted nutrition education in all fields
• Focused on gender related nutrition issues and women throughout all sections of the food and agricultural system
• Supported its mission through the distribution of information including Guidelines for NGOs, Nutrition Fact Sheets, nutrition publications encouraging appropriate education and gender-related issues
• Liase closely with the Ad Hoc Group of INGO's Representatives to FAO, based in Rome, and work together in a Joint Editorial Committee for the development and production of regular Calls to Action
  

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