On 4–5 November 2018, FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly organized “High-level Technical Consultation on Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) Follow Up Actions” and “Technical Symposium on Nutrition-Sensitive Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)” in collaboration with the Ministry of Food, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives of the Government of Bangladesh, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The Inaugural Ceremony was graced by the presence of the Honourable Minister for Food, Advocate Md. Qamrul Islam, M.P as Chief Guest, Günter Hemrich, Deputy Director a.i, Nutrition and Food Systems Division, FAO Economic and Social Development Department, David Westerling, Deputy Director, Economic Growth Office, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mario Ronconi, Minister Counsellor, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh, David Doolan, FAO Representative a.i. in Bangladesh, Bardan Jung Rana, WHO Representative to Bangladesh, and representatives of UNCIEF and WFP.

The Honourable Minister highlighted the commendable results achieved on food security and nutrition over the two decades as well as on the efforts the Government of Bangladesh is making to overcome the remaining challenges. He also acknowledged the importance of the Second Country Investment Plan: Nutrition-Sensitive Food Systems (CIP2) as a key policy tool developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Food and in close collaboration with 17 ministries and departments. He furthermore reiterated the commitment of the Government of Bangladesh to ensure appropriate follow-up of ICN2 recommendations.

The technical consultation and the technical symposium were aimed to (i) review and update ICN2 follow up actions with specific focus on Bangladesh; and (ii) discuss and share evidence and best practices on WASH strategies impacting on nutrition. M. Badrul Arefin, Director General, Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU), Ministry of Food and chaired and co-chaired by Md. Habibur Rhaman Khan, Additional Secretary, Health Services (SUN Country Focal Point), and Lalita Bhattacharjee, Senior Nutritionist, Meeting the Undernutrition Challenge (MUCH) opened the meetings.

Key technical discussions of the consultation centred around reviewing policy frameworks to improve nutrition, strengthen synergy and drive commitments for nutrition, and updating and reviewing the commitments to the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition as well as ICN2 follow-up actions by the ministries concerned with food and nutrition security. Another important session focused on the harmonization of the implementation of the Second National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN2) and the CIP2, which are key ICN2 follow-up policy outputs.

Meanwhile, the technical symposium, which was chaired by Begum Roxana Quader, Additional Secretary, Local Government Division, highlighted the importance of WASH in the improvement of the nutrition status, especially amongst young children, and good achievements made by the Government of Bangladesh in ensuring adequate access and use of WASH. However, some challenges still persist, such as the need to improve the knowledge, attitudes and practices on WASH through Behaviour Change Communication (BCC), especially in urban and peri-urban areas, insufficient WASH infrastructure at community level and in schools, and the sustainability of interventions as most of the good practices are project-based.

The two events were concluded with a summary of the meetings by Naoki Minamiguchi, Chief Technical Advisor, MUCH, and closing remarks by B.R. Quader.

The MUCH project as well as the two events were financially supported by the USAID and the EU. The project is aimed at strengthening the enabling environment for eradicating food insecurity and malnutrition in Bangladesh.