We regret that the vast majority of our comments on the ICN2 zero draft, submitted during the first e-consultation, have not been incorporated into the revised declaration. While we appreciate the reference to the right to food in the opening paragraph, the overall declaration still fails to be grounded in human rights. No mention is made of nutrition as core element of the human right to adequate food and nutrition and corresponding State obligations to respect, protect and fulfill this right. The elimination of malnutrition is considered to be imperative for “ethical, political, social and economic reasons”, but not because it is a human rights obligation of States. As in the previous draft, there is no acknowledgement or analysis of the systematic violations of human rights, including violations of women’s rights, child rights, and people’s access to natural resources, in which malnutrition is rooted. The detrimental impact of malnutrition on the enjoyment of other human rights is equally not considered. Women’s rights and the essential role of women in food production and nutrition (including through breastfeeding) are also overlooked.
We recommend, in addition to the specific changes outlined below, that reference is made throughout the document to the “right to adequate food and nutrition” to emphasize the links between food and nutrition and the fact that nutrition is a core element of the right to adequate food.
[See specific comments in the attachment, Ed.]
FIAN International