International Conference on Nutrition (ICN+21)

The first International Conference on Nutrition (ICN) was held in Rome in 1992 jointly sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). A World Declaration and Plan of Action for Nutrition was adopted by delegates from 159 countries and the European Community who pledged to eliminate or reduce substantially starvation and famine; widespread chronic hunger; undernutrition, especially among children, women and the aged; micronutrient deficiencies, especially iron, iodine and vitamin A deficiencies; diet related communicable and non-communicable diseases; impediments to optimal breast-feeding; and inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene and unsafe drinking water.

Twenty-one years later, this conference will:

• Review progress made since the 1992 ICN in the collective effort to address nutrition problems and identify major constraints encountered in the implementation of National Plans of Action for Nutrition
• Review the achievements at country level for scaling up nutrition through direct nutrition interventions and nutrition-sensitive development policies and programme
• Identify policy measures in health, agriculture, trade, consumers' policies and social support to improve global nutrition and develop consensus around a global multi-sectoral nutrition framework
• Strengthen political and policy coherence and coordination for improving global nutrition and raise the political will necessary to mobilize the resources needed for achieving nutrition-related MDGs through a balanced multi-sector approach.