Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), 19-21 November 2014

Why an ICN2?

More than half the world’s population is adversely affected by malnutrition, ICN2 will keep nutrition high on the international and national development agendas

ICN2 will be the first global intergovernmental conference to address the world’s nutrition problems in the 2lst century

ICN2 goal is to improve nutrition through national policies and effective international cooperation

Global economy, food systems and the nutritional status of populations have changed markedly since the first ICN in 1992. A new policy framework and more appropriate responses are needed

Global problems require global solutions, only an intergovernmental conference can legitimately identify the commitments of stakeholders to act decisively to address malnutrition

Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2)

The Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) was an inclusive inter-governmental meeting on nutrition held at FAO Headquarters, in Rome, 19-21 November 2014 and jointly organized by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO), in cooperation with the High Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis (HLTF), IFAD, IFPRI, UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank, WFP and the WTO. The main outcomes of the high-level ministerial conference were the Rome Declaration on Nutrition and the Framework for Action, a political commitment document and a flexible policy framework, respectively, which aim to address today’s major nutrition challenges and identify priorities for enhanced international cooperation on nutrition.

ICN2 brought together senior national policymakers from agriculture, health and other relevant ministries and agencies, with leaders of United Nations agencies, other intergovernmental organizations and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, researchers, the private sector and consumers. 

The key objectives of ICN2 were to:

  1. review progress made since the 1992 ICN including country-level achievements in scaling up nutrition through direct nutrition interventions and nutrition-enhancing policies and programmes;
  2. review relevant policies and institutions on agriculture, fisheries, health, trade, consumption and social protection to improve nutrition;
  3. strengthen institutional policy coherence and coordination to improve nutrition, and mobilize resources needed to improve nutrition;
  4. strengthen international, including inter-governmental cooperation, to enhance nutrition everywhere, especially in developing countries.

The scope of the conference was:

 

  • global in perspective, but focused particularly on nutrition challenges in developing countries;
  • addressed all forms of malnutrition, recognizing the nutrition transition and its consequences;
  • sought to improve nutrition throughout the life cycle, focusing on the poorest and most vulnerable households, and on women, infants and young children in deprived, vulnerable and emergency contexts.