While addressing some of the more salient issues relevant to protecting and promoting nutrition around the world, in general, the Draft Declaration falls well short of providing the powerful statement of political intent – the riveting call to action – that should guide nations in their efforts, acting singularly and in concert, to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition. The Declaration is underwhelming, at best; but at worst, by ignoring or misdirecting attention away from many of the real problems, threats, constraints and opportunities it could actually be detrimental to making real progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition throughout the world. For example, the omission or minimalizing of references to issues such as famine and food emergencies, gender equity and problems of social discrimination, civil disturbances, governance, education, the domains of “food, health and care” especially immunizations, child care and complementary feeding, among others, coupled with a somewhat narrow and often distorted view of food systems, all serve to detract attention from the basic and underlying problems of malnutrition. The Declaration as now written also removes nutrition from the mainstream of development efforts. Why is it not set within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals and, especially, within the follow-up plans. Where is the alignment with Secretary Ban Ki Moon’s Zero Hunger Challenge? Nutrition is relevant, fundamental actually, to each of the MDGs, and going forward nutrition must be seen as being central to whatever emerges. If the ICN2 does not place it there, it will again be marginalized.
As it now stands, the Declaration lacks substance and focus and thus its purpose is unclear. Where it does call for specific action, such actions are limited and often fail to address the fundamental issues needed. Many times the Declaration falls into muddled jargon and, even worse, makes inappropriate and often simplistic recommendations based on misguided notions of both diet-health relationships and of how food systems operate. And finally, it lacks passion – and any hint of poetry. I fail to see how it could serve as a forthright statement of commitment by our political leaders to improve nutrition, or as an inspiring catalyst for the generating the political will necessary to improve food and nutrition security. It most certainly will not serve to accelerate the widespread, multisectoral action necessary to do so.
The following comments further illustrate some of the above-mentioned short-comings.
[read more in the form attached, Ed.]
Bill Clay