The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has announced the appointment of Nigerian business magnate, Aliko Dangote, President of African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina and 25 other persons as global leaders, championing the fight against global malnutrition, an initiative of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement.
The SUN Movement is an initiative launched in 2010 by the UN Secretary-General. It aims to achieve a world free of malnutrition by 2030, with the support of governments, civil societies, donors, researchers, among others. The initiative is determined to achieve the agenda of the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs).
In a statement by the SUN movement, the appointed global leaders had pledge to provide inspiration and direction for the movement in a bid to ensuring that nutrition is prioritized and placed globally, eradicating the condition.
According to the SUN movement, one in three people suffer from malnutrition globally and so far about 149 million boys and girls are stunted due to the condition.
The appointed global leaders are mandated to support countries to scale up nutrition, ensuring a world free of malnutrition by 2030.
“Members of the Lead Group are appointed until July 2021 and include several Vice Presidents of SUN member countries and other leaders from the array of partners engaged in the SUN Movement – civil society, youth coalitions, international and United Nations organisations, donor agencies, businesses and foundations.
“At the annual meeting of the Lead Group, to be held on 24 September, the Group will take a decision on the continuation of the SUN Movement into its third phases (2021-2025) and make commitments to achieve its objectives – looking toward the 2020 Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit and the future of the Movement,” according to the statement.
The full list of the newly appointed global leaders is;
1. Akinwumi Adesina (Nigeria), President, African Development Bank
2. Manal Al Alem (Jordan), Chef
3. Reem Ebrahim Al-Hashimi (UAE), Cabinet Member and Minister of State for International Cooperation
4. Mercedes Aráoz Fernández (Peru), Vice-President, Republic of Peru
5. Inger Ashing (Sweden), CEO, Save the Children International
6. Cherrie Atilano (Philippines), Founder and CEO, Agrea Agricultural Systems Internaional Inc.
7. Alicia Bárcena Ibarra (Mexico), Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
8. David Beasley (USA), Executive Director, World Food Programme
9. Martin Chungong (Cameroon), Secretary-General, Inter-Parliamentary Union
10. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko (Angola), Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission
11. Aliko Dangote (Nigeria), Chairman and CEO, Dangote Group
12. Annette Dixon (New Zealand), Vice President Human Development, World Bank
13. Chris Elias (USA), President of Global Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
14. Shenggen Fan (China), Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute
15. Henrietta H. Fore (USA), Executive Director, UNICEF and Chair of the SUN Movement Lead Group
16. Sophie Healy-Thow (Ireland), Youth Leader
17. Daniel Kablan Duncan (Côte d’Ivoire), Vice President Côte d’Ivoire
18. Monica Katebe Musonda (Zambia), Founder and CEO, Java Foods
19. Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania) Former President United Republic of Tanzania, Kikwete Foundation
20. Shinichi Kitaoka (Japan), President Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
21.Maryam Monsef (Canada), Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Canada
22. David Nabarro (UK), Sustainable Development Facilitator, 4SD
23. Sania Nishtar (Pakistan), Founder and President, Heartfile Foundation
24. Inia Seruiratu (Fiji), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fiji
25. Feike Sijbesma (The Netherlands), CEO, Royal Dutch DSM
26. Gunhild Anker Stordalen (Norway), Founder and President, EAT Foundation
27. Gerda Verburg (The Netherlands), UN Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of the SUN Movement.
(Punch)
