Members of the UN-Nutrition collective (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], the International Atomic Agency [IAEA], the International Fund for Agricultural Development [IFAD], the United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], the World Food Programme [WFP] and the World Health Organization [WHO]) actively engaged in both the preparations and proceedings of N4G Paris. For example, FAO participated in all six working groups, co-leading two, including the “Nutrition, transition to sustainable food systems and climate” core area together with IFAD. In addition, FAO and WHO co-led the development of the N4G Paris Vision and Road Map and IAEA and WHO served on the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) for the Summit. The UN-Nutrition Secretariat also lent its support, where requested, including to UN-Nutrition Chair Najat Mokhtar as a member of the IAG, the development of the principles of engagement and Commitment Guide, as well as the mobilization of country pledging. In several cases, UN participation included high-level delegates, bolstering the call for investment in nutrition.
Below is a taste of these engagements in the lead up to or during the Paris Summit in case you missed them amidst the N4G ‘hustle and bustle’.
- Interviews with IFAD President Alvaro Lario podcast | radio
- WFP Executive Director’s opening remarks at the plenary session on Resilience, co-organized by WFP and the CFS Secretariat, plus ED McCain’s blog post | video commentary
- WHO Director-General’s closing remarks
In addition to rallying UN nutrition advocates at the highest level, various member agencies joined forces for the development of thematic commitment-making guidance and the organization of the Summit’s plenary sessions and side events. For example, WFP and WHO co-organized the plenary on Health and social protection while FAO and WFP teamed up on the Data and innovation theme. The Summit also catalysed innovative partnerships such as the launch of Edenred’s challenge on the WFP ShareTheMeal app in an effort to boost access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food.
Congratulations to UNICEF, WFP and WHO for registering their commitments, as detailed in the annex of the N4G Paris final declaration! We wish FAO and IFAD the best of luck as they follow suit. Among noteworthy examples of UN N4G pledges are:
- IFAD’s aim to surpass its previous target of making at least 60% of IFAD-financed projects nutrition-sensitive.
- UNICEF’s commitment to mobilize over USD 1 billion in new resources through the Child Nutrition Fund, an innovative financing scheme designed to step up lifesaving action against child wasting.
Further information about the engagement of UN-Nutrition member agencies at N4G Paris is available on the following agency-specific webpages: FAO | IFAD | WHO.
Remember! N4G 2025 commitments can be registered in the Nutrition Accountability Framework until 30 June 2025.
