Building Political Commitment

June 13 / Washington, DC

New knowledge and leadership at the highest levels present an extraordinary opportunity right now to make dramatic progress against the devastation caused by malnutrition among children.

Video:
Opening Plenary: 1,000 Days to Scale Up Nutrition for Mothers and Children
Hillary Clinton: 1,000 Days to Scale Up Nutrition for Mothers and Children

Background

In September 2010, on the occasion of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and then Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin launched the 1,000 Days: Change a Life, Change the Future Call to Action to draw attention to the irreversible impact of maternal and child undernutrition during the 1,000 day critical window of opportunity, from pregnancy to the age of 2, and the priority actions and interventions needed to scale up nutrition. Also launched that day was the Roadmap to Scale Up Nutrition (SUN).

At the event, David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World, and Tom Arnold, CEO of Concern Worldwide, committed to convening a follow up meeting of 1,000 Days / SUN stakeholders in June 2011. View video »

1,000 Days to Scale Up Nutrition for Mothers & Children focuses on the theme Building Political Commitment for the 1,000 Days Call to Action. The International Meeting seeks to:

• Build political commitment and energy to help solve the problem of maternal and child malnutrition.
  We hope this meeting bolsters and reinvigorates champions of this issue and draws in new champions.
• Assess the progress in scaling up nutrition programs at the country level.
  This assessment will identify the challenges and gaps that need to be addressed as well as the extent of civil society engagement.
• Agree to a shared advocacy agenda and strategy for the September 2011 U.N. General Assembly follow-up and the G-20 Summit.
  This will focus on the additional resources needed to scale up nutrition programs.
• Strengthen the voice of civil society in this global effort.
  At the end of the international meeting, we hope to frame a consensus statement or declaration.