New York – 7 April 2015

Delivered by H.E. Mr. Nicholas Emiliou, Permanent Representative of Cyprus on behalf of H.E. Sam Kahamba Kutesa, President of the General Assembly

Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to join you this afternoon to commemorate this year’s World Health Day and deliver this statement on behalf of the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency, Sam Kahamba Kutesa.

I also thank the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization respectively for organizing this event.

Excellencies,

With food and water-borne diseases linked to the deaths of an estimated 2 million people annually, including many children, food safety is vital and must be a shared responsibility. Incidents involving food safety can have a huge impact on economies and food industries.

Many foodborne diseases can be prevented through safe food handling practices. Following food safety rules like washing hands, washing and sanitising surfaces and thoroughly cooking food can help improve food safety.

Food safety is also a critical element of food and nutrition security and every effort must be made to prevent the prevalence of foodborne diseases, for the well-being of people, families and communities.

Excellencies,

The production of good, quality food will be critical for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The importance of addressing malnutrition in relation to food security, health and poverty eradication is highlighted in the proposed SDGs which will be the main component of the post-2015 development agenda.

The 2nd International Conference on Nutrition, held last year, stressed the need to address malnutrition across multiple sectors; including, health, agriculture, trade, education, social protection, as well as the environment. The Conference also resulted in a set of policy options for each of these areas and emphasized the importance of including nutrition elements across all SDGs.

Given the important role that women play as the primary buyers and providers of food for families, we should also do more to ensure that they are the focus of our nutrition education efforts.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As we seek to formulate a transformative post-2015 development agenda, with the eradication of poverty and hunger at its core, we must all commit to ensuring the availability of affordable, diversified, safe and healthy food.

There are food hazards at the farm level due to pesticide residues, food adulteration during storage and distribution, and new food processing techniques, packaging and distribution chains which can create food safety risks to consumers.

Coherent policies, coordinated action among different stakeholders and the empowerment of consumers, particularly women, will be critical for ensuring that we meet our food safety and nutrition objectives, both now and in the future.

I thank you for your attention.