UNITED Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina and 25 other persons to champion the fight against global malnutrition.
A statement issued by Scaling Up Nutrition SUN Movement, an initiative of the UN Gen Sec, Dangote and others have pledged to make sure nutrition remains at the top of the agenda.
They have also pledged to provide inspiration and direction for the SUN Movement and its mission in eradicating malnutrition.
The movement said one in three people suffer from malnutrition globally and 149 million girls and boys are stunted, hence the job of the global leaders to 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.
The statement reads: “Members of the Lead Group are appointed until July 2021 and include several Vice Presidents of SUN member countries and other leaders from the array of partners engaged in the SUN Movement – civil society, youth coalitions, international and United Nations organisations, donor agencies, businesses and foundations.
“At the annual meeting of the Lead Group, to be held on 24 September, the group will take a decision on the continuation of the SUN Movement into its third phases (2021-2025) and make commitments to achieve its objectives – looking toward the 2020 Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit and the future of the movement.”
Guterres launched the SUN Movement in 2010.
Other appointees are Manal AL ALEM (Jordan), Chef; Reem Ebrahim AL-HASHIMI (UAE), Cabinet Member and Minister of State for International Cooperation; Mercedes ARÁOZ FERNÁNDEZ (Peru), Vice-President, Republic of Peru; Inger ASHING (SWEDEN), CEO, Save the Children International; Cherrie ATILANO (Philippines); Founder and CEO, Agrea Agricultural Systems International Inc; Alicia BÁRCENA IBARRA, (Mexico); Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; David BEASLEY (USA), Executive Director, World Food Programme and Martin CHUNGONG (Cameroon), Secretary-General, Inter Parliamentary Union.
Josefa Leonel CORREIA SACKO (Angola), Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission; Annette DIXON (New Zealand), Vice President Human Development, World Bank; Chris ELIAS (United States of America), President of Global Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Shenggen FAN (China), Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute; Henrietta H. FORE (USA), Executive Director, UNICEF and Chair of the SUN Movement Lead Group; Sophie HEALY-THOW (Ireland), Youth Leader; and Vice President of Côte d’Ivoire Daniel KABLAN DUNCAN.
Others include: Monica Katebe MUSONDA (Zambia), Founder and CEO, Java Foods; Jakaya KIKWETE (Tanzania), former President United Republic of Tanzania, Kikwete Foundation; Shinichi KITAOKA (Japan), President Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); Maryam MONSEF (Canada), Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Canada; David NABARRO (United Kingdom), Sustainable Development Facilitator, 4SD; Sania NISHTAR (Pakistan), founder and President, Heartfile Foundation; Inia SERUIRATU, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fiji; Feike SIJBESMA (The Netherlands), CEO, Royal Dutch DSM; Gunhild Anker STORDALEN (Norway), founder and President, EAT Foundation; and Gerda VERBURG (The Netherlands), UN Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of the SUN Movement.
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