Who we are
Global level
Today, UN-Nutrition has 15 members. These include: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR); the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food; the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat); the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA); the World Food Programme (WFP); and the World Health Organization (WHO). Participation entails engagement of both technical focal points and managers in the respective agencies.
A global secretariat, led by the UN-Nutrition Executive Secretary, is hosted by FAO headquarters. The Secretariat facilitates the work of the collective as part of efforts to improve collaboration within the UN family. What does this entail? Essentially, the Secretariat helps members align positions and speak with one voice to elevate nutrition on the political agenda. It also shares knowledge across institutions.
In addition, the UN-Nutrition Secretariat convenes steering committee meetings and other global coordination efforts. This includes UN-Nutrition’s collaboration with the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Secretariat, working as an integral part of the SUN Global Support System (GSS).
Regional level
UN-Nutrition leverages the existing UN regional offices and inter-agency coordinating mechanisms. The Regional Nutrition Advisers of the UN-Nutrition member agencies are crucial for supporting UN-Nutrition joint work in-country. They also promote greater regional inter-agency collaboration under the leadership of the agency-specific Regional Directors. In addition, the UN-Nutrition Secretariat works closely with the SUN Movement Regional Hubs in Bangkok, Dakar, Nairobi and Panama City, with the aim of supporting SUN country coordinators and nutrition multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs).