UN General Assembly adopts resolution on the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition
Adopted by consensus, the resolution reviews the implementation of the UN Nutrition Decade and reaffirms Member States’ commitment to eliminate malnutrition in all its forms, leaving no one behind.
The General Assembly adopted by consensus its resolution on the Implementation of the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025), reaffirming Member States’ commitment to undertake 10 years of sustained and coherent implementation of policies, programmes and increased investments to eliminate malnutrition in all its forms, everywhere, leaving no one behind.
Introduced by the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations, the resolution draws on the report of the Secretary General on the implementation of the Nutrition Decade, prepared by FAO and WHO as the joint Secretariat of the observance.
“FAO and WHO welcome the adoption by consensus of the resolution, that signals the unequivocal commitment of Member States with the implementation of the Nutrition Decade and with ensuring food security and good nutrition for all. We will continue to support Member States efforts to reach this goal, in the context of the 2030 Agenda,” said Mr. Qu Guangzhou, Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Liaison Office with the UN in New York, and Mr. Werner Obermeyer, director of the World Health Organization Office at the UN.
The resolution notes the General Assembly’s concern that food security and nutrition challenges continue to evolve and grow, and that, as a result of COVID-19-related disruptions. The resolution also recognizes the commitments made by Governments and stakeholders and proposes ways to advance the implementation of the Nutrition Decade.
“Consequential action for the improvement of the world’s food security and nutrition indicators is urgent and necessary,” said Rodrigo Barenho, Food Security Expert at the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations, presenting the resolution at the 77th session of the General Assembly.
Recommendations outlined by the resolution include scaling up the implementation of national commitments and increasing investments for nutrition, strengthening efforts to integrate nutrition objectives across all sectors and building synergy and coherence with other processes, including the Committee on World Food Security, UN Nutrition and the follow-up to the United Nations Food Systems Summit.
The General Assembly also urges Member States to make food security, food safety and nutrition a high priority in national programmes and budgets and calls upon Member States to keep food markets open to maintain international trade in food and fertilizers.
The resolution also firmly places of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition and to improve food security and nutrition in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“As recognized in the 2030 Agenda, our development challenges are indivisible and integrated, and so integrated shall be our policies to tackle them. In the same vein, food security and nutrition are a fundamental part of human development, from the day it starts to the day it ends, and so it must be of the work of the United Nations,” said Barenho.
About the Nutrition Decade
The UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) was proclaimed by the 70th session of the General Assembly and called upon FAO and WHO to lead its implementation, in collaboration with relevant UN partners and stakeholders. Its implementation is guided by a Work Programme presented to Member States and implemented.
Related links
Access the adopted resolution here.
Learn more about the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition here
More on FAO’s work on nutrition.
More on WHO’s work on nutrition.