The 2019 SUN Movement Global Gathering: Reflections from the Coordinator of the SUN Movement
As a driver of change, a builder of resilience and security and a key to unlocking intellectual capacity and socio-economic development, nutrition is the cornerstone issue as we work to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Given its importance, I was humbled and inspired to join more than 1,200 participants from over 100 countries in Kathmandu, Nepal, for the flagship event of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement – the 2019 SUN Movement Global Gathering – held on 4-7 November, 2019.
Let me begin by giving thanks to everyone who supported this event – either in person or from afar – and congratulate all for bringing a sense of energy, commitment, action and leadership with them on this journey. Our co-hosts, the Government of Nepal and its National Planning Commission, showed us what it means to lead by example by creating a beautiful space for SUN countries to share their experiences and insights on how nutrition, and multi-stakeholder, multi-sector partnerships, can accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
This special event was one of the largest gatherings on nutrition in 2019 and, more importantly, a conference led by our community of 61 member countries and the thousands of partners who work on nutrition around the world. I view each member of this SUN family (and beyond) as a powerful advocate for ending malnutrition in all its forms. I was encouraged and inspired by peers and colleagues, by the progress we have made as a movement, by the stories that were told and, most of all, by the people that we met. I hope that the many powerful stories of change, a number of which have been brought together in this special SUN Movement-focused Nutrition Exchange, may also inspire you to act on nutrition and lead from where you stand.
‘Nourishing People and Planet Together’, the theme of this Global Gathering, encouraged participants to focus on the 1,000-days window of opportunity (the core work of the SUN Movement), while also recognising the broader issues of globalisation, urbanisation, inequities, humanitarian crises and climate shocks which are driving unprecedented changes in people’s nutrition. Stemming this requires food systems to deliver nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable diets for all, within [geographic] boundaries. And this can only be achieved by working together.
The four plenary sessions and 25 workshops organised, alongside almost 60 side events, meetings and informal discussions over four days, provided the opportunity to explore complex issues and to come together to ensure that nutrition is at the heart of these important discussions, always with a country perspective. To understand the commitment of our member countries to turn the needle on malnutrition, all you had had to do was step into the SUN Global Village, to feel the energy and excitement, and experience, touch and see, first-hand, country solutions – in the form of posters, publications and by listening to the stories being shared from all corners of the world.
I hope the spirit of Kathmandu lives on in all the work that we do. This spirit is captured in the Kathmandu Declaration, a non-binding declaration presented during the closing ceremony, and which is a tool to encourage all member countries and stakeholders to take the energy and inspiration from Kathmandu forward to the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit 2020 and beyond into the third phase of the SUN Movement.
Now is the moment to embrace the power of ‘we’ and to work collectively to keep up the momentum and storm ahead in our daily work, using important learnings and strategies from the SUN Global Gathering. As Coordinator of the SUN Movement, I look forward to working with each of our member countries, four Indian states, networks and other members and partners, and with the support of the entire SUN support structure, to deliver impact as captured in the SUN Movement Strategy and Roadmap (2016-2020).
2020 is an auspicious year for SUN. We will celebrate our 10th anniversary, which gives rise to both reflection and introspection to chart the course ahead. After a ‘decade of SUN’, and as we look ahead to the Tokyo N4G Summit 2020 and the third phase of the SUN Movement, let’s make a promise to ourselves: to make bold commitments, across countries and regions, at all levels of society and across sectors and stakeholders, which will create real, lasting change and which we are firmly prepared to deliver. I am confident that we, as the SUN Movement, can, together, make sure we play our part to nourish people and planet, alike.
I count on you all and hope you enjoy the read.
Gerda Verburg