| ILCA liaison presents the UN
Breastfeeding Advocacy Team Statement to the UNICEF Executive
Board |
Date: September 2005, Second Regular Session
Submitted by: Margot Mann, IBCLC
Executive Director Ms. Veneman. President and Members of the
Executive Board, and Honored Colleagues:
On behalf of the UN International NGO Breastfeeding Advocacy
Team, I thank you for this opportunity to address you as you
decide on UNICEF's strategic plan for the next 4 years.
We recognize Ms Veneman's accomplishments before her arrival
at UNICEF in promoting breastfeeding in the United States WIC
(Women, Infants, and Children) Program. I quote from her
Statement for World Breastfeeding Week 2005:
"UNICEF strives to create an environment that enables the best
choices in infant and young child feeding practices by
supporting the breastfeeding and complementary feeding efforts
of partner countries and our NGO colleagues at three levels:
improving national regulation and oversight, enhancing the
knowledge and skills of health personnel, and increasing
success in the community by providing support for each new
mother to make the best choices in feeding her children."
We applaud this position.
Ms Veneman: As NGOs that advocate for breastfeeding, we have
valued our opportunity to work closely with UNICEF, starting
in the days of the GOBI Goals for Child Survival and since, in
support of breastfeeding as a child's right. UNICEF listened
when we protested that the "B" for breastfeeding should not be
taken for granted but needed protection, promotion and
support, and we worked together to insure that every child's
right to a healthy start in life is preserved. We hope to
continue this mutual and synergistic relationship under your
leadership.
UNICEF has a history of response with focused action: the 1990
Innocenti meeting and Declaration, the Baby Friendly Hospital
Initiative and health worker training, the recent
reconfirmation of support to governments in legislation and
implementation of the International Code of Marketing of
Breast Milk Substitutes. UNICEF developed guidelines for
Infant Feeding in Emergencies and supports the UN multi agency
document, "HIV and Infant Feeding: Framework for Priority
Actions". In 2002, this Board endorsed the WHO/UNICEF Global
Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding that pulled all
these initiatives together into one unifying document.
In the proposed Midterm Strategic Plan (MTSP), exclusive
breastfeeding for the first six months is listed as a key
indicator (under Focus Area 1, Key Result 2). It is, however,
unclear how this will be achieved without comprehensive
programming focusing on this issue, and the expert help that
we have counted on UNICEF to provide. We count on UNICEF's
leadership in this area, and therefore we would be very
concerned if UNICEF were to in any way diminish its leadership
at all levels, and skilled support for which it is so
respected.
As UNICEF joins forces with new partners, the International
Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes must be more
strongly implemented than ever. UNICEF is the one and only
agency that has provided skilled legal guidance to governments
and NGOs to prevent inappropriate marketing that could
undermine a mother's confidence in her milk to feed her
infant. This guidance also ensures that UNICEF's own response
to emergencies complies with the Code, and that UNICEF and
government officials are sensitized to the issue and do no
harm. All this work and more has been achieved by having
dedicated oversight at UNICEF headquarters!
Now we are concerned that there may be a reduction of
expertise and commitment, at a time when breastfeeding faces
many emerging and continuing challenges, among them,
partnerships between the health sector and industry which can
create conflicts of interest.
We need to prevent adverse effects on breastfeeding from
marketing and workplace policies that focus on profits over
children's health. And there is still a need for continued
quality oversight at all levels within UNICEF.
We see the need for explicit and specific emphasis throughout
UNICEF activities to protect breastfeeding through:
1. Continued leadership of senior skilled advisors or units
dedicated to infant feeding to provide expertise centrally,
regionally and at the country.
2. Specific reference in the MTSP to the following
international strategies and policies: the "International Code
of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes", "Infant Feeding in
Emergencies", the "HIV and Infant Feeding: Framework for
Priority Actions", and the WHO/UNICEF "Global Strategy on
Infant and Young Child Feeding".
Although many UNICEF staff may be aware of these documents,
their content may not be sufficiently recognized. Two years
ago, an external evaluation of UNICEF country and regional
offices revealed that many of them perceived that infant
feeding was no longer a UNICEF priority.
Further decentralization of breastfeeding activities,
particularly the implementation and monitoring of the
International Code, may weaken support, advocacy and action at
the country level. As Hurricane Katrina recently illustrated,
successful local action often requires skilled, centralized
backup support.
UNICEF's past record of support for breastfeeding is strong.
We urge UNICEF to maintain the progress by specifically naming
the key documents listed above, by maintaining dedicated staff
at HQ on these issues, and by strengthening your partnership
with the international and national NGOs at every level.
Thank you!
Margot Mann IBCLC
ILCA Permanent Representative to the UN
on behalf of the UN Breastfeeding Advocacy Team: ILCA, LLLI
and WABA.
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