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Statement to the WHO Executive Board, January 2002

109th session of the WHO Executive Board
Geneva, 14-21 January 2002

Statement by the International Special Dietary Food Industries (ISDI), an international nongovernmental organisation
in official relations with WHO

I would like to thank you, Madam Chair, for this opportunity to address the members of the WHO Executive Board.

At the outset, I wish to congratulate the Board for its endorsement of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. We are pleased that the draft resolution relating to the strategy’s implementation takes an all-inclusive approach that truly advances its aim and objectives.

We are also pleased that the strategy highlights the constructive role that infant-food manufacturers play in feeding infants and young children, and in addressing the vital issues that are here before us.

As all WHO resolutions are recommendations to governments, we look forward to working with Member States individually, and collectively through WHO, to further the aim and objectives of the Global Strategy. This includes contributing to proactive programs to improve infant and young child feeding and supporting the implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.

Such contributions are similar to the support we have already provided in some WHO regions, for example a project in the Region of the Americas entitled "Development of an Integrated Early Childhood Nutrition Strategy" designed to further the health and nutrition of children worldwide.

As you are well aware, our members are committed to improving the health and well-being of infants and young children through proper nutrition, and we devote considerable resources to research and development relating to nutritionally balanced processed foods. We therefore applaud the scientific process advocated by WHO in the Global Strategy, and we look forward to adding our constructive input to achieving its aim and objectives. In addition, we support the development of strong public-private partnerships in the area of nutrition and health.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

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