The ASEAN and FAO High Level Meeting on Integrating Nutrition into ASEAN Food Security Framework and its Strategic Plan of Action held in Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel and Towers last 28 to 31 January 2013, in Bangkok, Thailand has just successfully concluded.  A set of recommendations for the adoption by the ASEAN were forwarded by the participants for the discussions among during the joint meeting of the SOM-AMAF and SOM-HD scheduled until February 1, 2013.
The meeting was attended by 170  participants that include senior level delegation from Governments of ASEAN member states and stakeholders SOM-AMAF and SOMHD of ASEAN, High level Government Officials of the Ministries of Agriculture, Health,  Planning and Investment, Director Generals of IFPRI, CGIAR, IRRI, ILRI, WFC, AVRDC, members of the Committee on World Food Security, Representatives from FAO, IFAD and UN Programs on Nutrition (SUN, REACH), regional civil society organizations, representatives of farmers organizations, USAID MARKET Project and representatives from the private sector. Mr. David Nabarro, Coordinator of the UN  High Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Food Security and Nutrition and SUN Coordinator also attended the meeting.

The Food and Agriculture Organization together with the Secretariat of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and close collaboration with partners organized  this ASEAN High Level Consultation on “Integrating Nutrition into ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework and its Strategic Plan of Action for Food Security.”
The momentum for scaling-up nutrition multi-stakeholder action is already growing as demonstrated by the increasing number of countries and partners joining the Scaling-up-Nutrition (SUN) movement. The extraordinary global momentum built around SUN over the past year is further evidence of the growing recognition that investment in nutrition is central to reaching global development targets, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Southeast Asia region is still confronted with poverty, problems of hunger and malnutrition. Many countries are on track to meet MDG1 income poverty targets, but some have made little or no progress in reducing underweight prevalence. Ensuring adequate, safe and nutritious food for all is a high priority and long-standing agenda in the framework of ASEAN community building. Considering the equal importance of a balanced diet in addressing malnutrition, and the role of agriculture as a key vehicle, the need to integrate and mainstream nutrition aspects into agricultural production systems is important. Moreover, as the issue is cross-cutting in nature, the need for a multisectoral, multidisciplinary and multistakeholder approach and collaboration are necessary.
The High Level Consultative Meeting aimed to:

1. To provide an opportunity for participants to increase their understanding of agriculture’s role in improving nutrition,
2. To intensify dialogue and mutual understanding of each sectors’ role in improving nutrition, and
3. To agree on practical steps for nutrition-sensitive policies and actions on the ground.

The Meeting focused on strengthening the contribution of the food and agriculture sector to the scaling up of multisectoral action for improved nutrition. Particular attention will be given to improved. coordination among sectors, building consensus and mobilizing resources to ensure that programmes are designed synergistically to maximize the impacts of efforts in both the health and agriculture sectors.
A set of recommendations for the adoption by the ASEAN were forwarded by the participants for the discussions among during the joint meeting of the SOM-AMAF and SOM-HD scheduled on January 31, 2013.