Secretary-General Appoints 29 Global Leaders to Spearhead Fight against Malnutrition

The Scaling Up Nutrition Movement continues its drive to improve nutrition for all people, everywhere, with the coming together of 29 newly appointed global leaders, who are committed to fighting malnutrition in all its forms.

Appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, these prominent figures are champions who have pledged to place nutrition at the top of the agenda, and to provide inspiration and direction for the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement and its mission in eradicating malnutrition.  One in three people suffer from malnutrition the world over and 156 million girls and boys are stunted.

“Good nutrition is essential to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted a year ago, and we have an unprecedented opportunity to transform the ways we work together.  There is no better time than the present to bring together such an exciting group of nutrition leaders,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.  “These global champions will support country-led efforts to scale up nutrition and to deliver for girls, boys and their families to ensure a world free from malnutrition by 2030.”

Members of the Lead Group include current and former Heads of State and other leaders from the array of partners engaged in the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement — civil society, international and United Nations organizations, donor agencies, businesses and foundations.  Lead Group Members are listed below.

At their inaugural meeting to be held on 21 September, the Lead Group will identify the priority actions that they will champion to achieve the objectives of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, as outlined in its newly released Strategy and Road Map 2016-2020, and help member countries to achieve lasting human impact at scale.

The Scaling Up Nutrition Movement now includes 57 countries and three Indian States, up from 19 countries in 2011.  The Scaling Up Nutrition Movement represents a global push for action and investment, with the support of organizations and individuals, to help every child, adolescent, mother and family realize their right to food and nutrition, in turn helping them reach their full potential and helping shape more sustainable and prosperous societies.

The first 1,000 days — from a mother’s pregnancy to her child’s second birthday — is a critical window that can determine a child’s destiny.  Good nutrition helps develop strong brains and bodies, allowing this generation the opportunity to not just survive, but thrive, and reach their full potential in life.

“Malnutrition — especially in the earliest years — affects the cognitive growth of millions of children and costs their societies the full benefit of the contribution they could make as adults.  The Scaling Up Nutrition Movement has helped drive awareness of nutrition as both a marker and a maker of sustainable development, and with the appointment of these new leaders, we will create even greater momentum in the fight to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030,” said Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Chair of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement Lead Group.

“The message is clear: we need to focus our efforts in countries to support concrete, measurable results and impact to end malnutrition,” says Gerda Verburg, the newly appointed Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.  “By bringing together this group of leaders from all parts of the world today, we are putting into action what we know works to ensure that girls and boys, everywhere, get the nutrition they need and the future they deserve.”

• Akin Adesina (Nigeria), President, African Development Bank.
• Nahas Angula (Namibia), Chairperson of the Namibian Alliance for Improved Nutrition.
• Tom Arnold (Ireland), Director-General, Institute of International and European Affairs.
• Marie-Claude Bibeau (Canada), Minister for International Development and la Francophonie.
• Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Chowdhury (Bangladesh), Vice-Chair, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee.
• Martin Chungong (Cameroon), Secretary General, Inter-Parliamentary Union.
• Ertharin Cousin (United States), Executive Director, World Food Programme.
• Chris Elias (United States), President of the Global Development Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Shenggen Fan (China), Director-General, International Food Policy Research Institute.
• Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica), Secretary-General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat.
• Keith Hansen (United States), Vice-President for Human Development, World Bank.
• Jakaya Kikwete (United Republic of Tanzania), former President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
• Anthony Lake (USA), Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund and Chair of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement Lead Group.
• Ibrahim Mayaki (Niger), Chief Executive Officer, New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordinating Agency.
• Neven Mimica (Croatia), European Commissioner for Development.
• Jimmy Morales (Guatemala), President of Guatemala.
• Monica Katebe Musonda (Zambia), Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Java Foods.
• David Nabarro (United Kingdom), Special Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change.
• Sania Nishtar (Pakistan), Founder and President, Heartfile Foundation.
• Priti Patel (United Kingdom), Secretary of State for International Development of the United Kingdom.
• Joy Phumaphi (Botswana), Executive Secretary, African Leaders Malaria Alliance.
• Mary Robinson (Ireland), President, Mary Robinson Foundation-Climate Justice.
• Nina Sardjunani (Indonesia), Team Leader of Sustainable Development Goals National Secretariat.
• Feike Sijbesma (Netherlands), Chief Executive Officer, Royal Dutch DSM.
• Gayle Smith (United States), Administrator, United States Agency for International Development.
• Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah (Sri Lanka), Secretary-General, CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation.
• Gunhild Anker Stordalen (Norway), Founder and President, Education and Agriculture Together Foundation.
• Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Denmark), Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children International.
• Gerda Verburg (Netherlands), Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement.