Notes from Myanmar - an ENN and NI joint visit

From Sansan Myint:

UN REACH’s presence in countries has helped make significant strides in bringing together the UN agencies to coordinate and harmonize their support with government efforts for improving nutrition, alongside other actors engaged in the SUN Movement. A good example in Myanmar, where REACH started in 2015, is the Nutrition Stocktaking being supported jointly by nine agencies which form the UN Network in Myanmar (WFP, WHO, World Bank, UNOPS, FAO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women ). The UN Network works closely with the Government network which is led by the Ministry of Health and Sports and comprised of the Ministries of Education; Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation; Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement; and Planning and Finance. Although SUN Network members still have their agency-specific programs and tasks, the Nutrition Stocktaking has prompted partners to get together and plan and implement important events that foster increased coherence. In January 2017, partners worked together to prepare nutrition briefs for the high-level field visit to a nutrition project site, which was led by the State Counselor, Daw Aung San Su Kyi. The first-ever National Nutrition Coordinating meeting was chaired by the State Counselor with participation from the government, civil society, UN organizations and donors. This was also a good example of collaboration within and among SUN network members for a hallmark event and a milestone for nutrition in the country.

The increased interest in nutrition and commitment made at the highest level of government is likely to create demand for the rapid scale-up of both nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions on the ground. Stakeholders need to be ready and responsive to address capacity gaps as the demand for services is likely to be outstripped by available resources, particularly human resources.

The UN Network for Nutrition and Food Security, facilitated by UN REACH, has supported government in building consensus on twenty ‘core nutrition actions’. These involve different sectors and reflect a mix of nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific actions, all having evidence on stunting reduction. The next step is for the government and SUN networks to work together to ensure that the nutrition actions are appropriately and adequately implemented in support of national goals and targets for nutrition.

A response from Charif Said Said:

The future representation of UN REACH in the Comoros will contribute to significant progress in bringing the UN agencies together to strengthen the link between multilateral cooperation and coordinate and harmonize support to the Comorian government efforts to improve nutrition for all living forces of the Comoros nation, along with other players such as the environmental movement of Southern Africa and Indian Ocean at the University of the Comoros, the French and Europeans of Comorian origin, members of the Organization of International Solidarity from Comorian Migration from France and Europe, and networks of women and development in the Comoros and village associations, municipalities and former MPs, prefects, mayors, counselors, blacksmiths farmers, workers and academics, almost all the lifeblood of the nation are involved and engaged in the SUN Movement viscerally to defend a healthy and balanced food basket for all.

A good reference example from the school of social practice illustrated by Myanmar, where REACH began in 2015, is the nutrition Stocktaking being jointly supported by nine organizations that make up the United Nations Network in Myanmar (WFP, WHO, World Bank, UNOPS, FAO, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women). Why is this not also happening in small Insular and Fragile Developing States, such as the Comoros Islands where the population is around one million?

The United Nations Network in Myanmar works closely with the network of the government led by the Ministry of Health and Sports and composed of the ministries of education; agriculture, livestock and irrigation; social protection, Relief and Resettlement; and Planning and Finance. The equivalent ministries in the Comoros, including for example the current Secretary General of the Government, Mr. Idaroussi Hamamdi, are interested in this social and solidarity work as part of good governance indicators to include the country in the list of emerging countries in 2030. It is the battle horse of the President of the Republic Assoumani AZALI, to subscribe the Comoros archipelago to the list of emerging countries in 2030.

In my capacity as National Focal Point for Health Environment and linchpin of this mobilisation, I ask for your collaboration to achieve the implementation of the most expensive wishful thinking of the former Secretary General B. k Moon. We are committed viscerally behind Our Leader and Supreme Magistrate of the Nation, Sir, the President of the Republic, Colonel Assoumani AZALI.

Those interested in this analysis can join us in this email address: charif.sac@gmail.com and contribute and lobby bilateral and multilateral partners and voluntary organisations.

Please see the blog article to which the original post refers here:

http://www.ennonline.net/mediahub/notesfrommyanmaranennandnijointvisit

Apologies for not posting this earlier.