In this issue you will find:
NEWS FROM THE STAFF
- Staff change: welcome to our new Programme Officer Alessia Bigi
WORKING ON HUMAN RIGHTS
- CRC session 73 and 74 / CESCR session 59: Recommendations related to breastfeeding
- New UN report on nutrition highlights breastfeeding as a crucial intervention
- UN experts recognize breastfeeding as part of human rights in a landmark declaration
- IBFAN submission on the human rights implications of the widespread use of hazardous pesticides
- New CESCR General Comment highlighting breastfeeding protection as part of States' obligations
SECOND WORLD BREASTFEEDING CONFERENCE
- Training on Breastfeeding and Human Rights
- Symposium on Maternity Protection
- Keynote address on the Protection, Promotion and support of Breastfeeding in the framework of Human Rights
GLOBAL HEALTH GOVERNANCE
- IBFAN tackles corporate influence in global health governance at the 70th World Health Assembly
CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY
- IBFAN-GIFA takes part in the 2nd session of the intergovernmental working group on TNCs and Human Rights
- Denouncing Code violations at Nestlé 150th AGM
NEWS FROM SWITZERLAND
- Le Courrier denounces Nestlé's negative impact on babies' health
- Breastfeeding promotion at the salon Bébé et moi at Palexpo
- Capacity building of health workers at HES Santé Geneva
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IBFAN-GIFA has the pleasure to introduce its new Programme Officer, Ms. Alessia Bigi. Alessia graduated in translation and international relations and gained a solid experience on several themes related to childhood during her internships at the FAO, the Youth and United Nations Global Alliance, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IBFAN-GIFA.
We would also like to warmly thank our former staff Ms. Rebecca Norton for her years of committed service at IBFAN-GIFA and we wish her the best success in her future endeavours.
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CRC Day of General Discussion on Children’s Rights and the Environment
On 23 September 2016, on behalf of IBFAN, IBFAN-GIFA took part in the 2016 Day of General Discussion of the Committee on the Rights of the Child which topic was Children’s Rights and the Environment.
We took part in the Working Group 1 focusing on Children’s Exposure to Environmental Toxicants and took the floor to emphasize the necessity to adopt legislation obliging manufacturers to fully disclose the levels of toxic chemicals including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in their products. In addition, we called governments and UN agencies to actively engage in the elaboration of a UN International Framework Convention on Management of Chemicals and Waste, in order to safeguard our own health and that of future generations.
We also took part in the Working Group 2A dealing with Children’s Rights and Climate Change and made an oral statement in which we highlighted that breastfeeding is an environmentally friendly, 100% renewable natural resource contributing to overall sustainability and helping to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.
Last but not least, IBFAN-GIFA attended the side event on unsound management of chemicals. During the discussion, IBFAN-GIFA expressed its concern about the trend of trying to solve crucial development issues through the establishment of public-private partnerships, in particular when the issues entail unethical corporate behaviour. We highlighted the risk of partnerships becoming simple corporate social responsibility exercices and we informed the audience about the importance to support the elaboration of a binding international instrument on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights .
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CRC session 73 and 74 / CESCR session 59: Recommendations related to breastfeeding
From 13 to 30 September 2016, the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC Committee) held its 73rdSession in Geneva, while the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR Committee) held its 59th session from 19 September to 7 October 2016.
The CRC Committee reviewed the progress of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 6 countries: Nauru, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Suriname. IBFAN submitted alternative reports on the situation of infant and young child feeding in 2 of the reviewed countries (New Zealand and Saudi Arabia).
The implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 7 countries (Costa Rica, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Lebanon, Philippines, Poland, Tunisia) was monitored by the CESCR Committee. Specific information on the situation of breastfeeding in the reviewed countries was submitted to the Committee.
As a result of IBFAN’s advocacy, in its Concluding Observations, the CRC Committee referred specifically to breastfeeding for 4 of the 6 countries under review (Nauru, New Zealand, Sierra Leone and Suriname) while the CESCR Committee issued specific recommendations on breastfeeding to 2 of the 7 countries under review (Costa Rica and Poland).
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC Committee) held its 74th session from January 16 to February 3, 2017, and reviewed the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 8 countries: Barbados, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Estonia, Georgia, Malawi, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Serbia. IBFAN submitted one short report on the situation of infant and young child feeding in Georgia (in English and in Spanish) and sent the Committee members specific information related to infant and young child feeding in 5 others countries (Barbados, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Serbia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines).
In its Concluding Observations, the CRC Committee referred specifically to breastfeeding for 3 of the 8 countries under review (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Serbia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines).
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New UN report on nutrition highlights breastfeeding as a crucial intervention
In August 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the right fo food, Ms Hilal Elver, presented her annual report to the General Assembly. The International Baby Food Action Network welcomes this comprehensive report which addresses the major underlying factors affecting nutrition, including economic and social determinants, the impact of food systems, unhealthy eating habits and non-communicable diseases, trade liberalization and foreign direct investment, the aggressive marketing of unhealthy food products and the product-based approach to malnutrition.
More specifically, a whole section of the report is devoted to the importance of breastfeeding, highlighting that it provides optimal nutrition for infants and that it protects babies’ health, while the WHO recommendations on the topic are recalled (§16-17). The duty of private companies to comply with the Code is outlined (§69). Emphasizing the growing global sales of breastmilk substitutes (§81), the report recommends all States to incorporate the Code in its entirety into their legal systems and ensure adequate monitoring to ensure implementation (§99l).
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UN experts recognize breastfeeding as part of human rights in a landmark declaration
On 22 November 2016, a group of United Nations experts constituted by the UN Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Food, Right to Health, the Working Group on Discrimination against Women in law and in practice, and the Committee on the Rights of the Child published a statement in which they affirmed that breastfeeding is a human rights issue for babies and mothers and should be protected and promoted for the benefit of both.
States should take urgent action to stop the “misleading, aggressive and inappropriate” marketing of breast-milk substitutes in a multi-billion-dollar global industry, say the UN Special Rapporteurs on the right to health, Dainius Pûras, and on the right to food, Hilal Elver, together with the Working Group on discrimination against women, and the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
- Read the joint statement in support of increased efforts to promote, support and protect breastfeeding
- Read the UN News update on breastfeeding being a matter of human rights
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IBFAN submission on the human rights implications of the widespread use of hazardous pesticides
The rise in quantities of pesticides used over the past 50 years is indeed alarming. Infants and young children are among the most sensitive to pesticide exposures because of their early stages of development; their body organs and as well as their immune, reproductive and nervous systems are still maturing. Compared to adults, they consume higher amounts of food and water per unit of body weight, leading to greater and accumulated exposures. Absorption rates for chemicals and toxic elements are higher than in adults and excretion rates are lower due to immaturity of renal function.
In these vulnerable groups it is thus vitally important to address the harmful effects of both prenatal and postnatal exposures to pesticides. However, it is also necessary to assess the impact of preconception exposure to pesticides of future fathers as well as future mothers. This is a gap and weakness in both research and regulation.
- Read the IBFAN submission on the human rights implications of the widespread use of hazardous pesticides
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New CESCR General Comment highlighting breastfeeding protection as part of States' obligations
In June 2017, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted its new General Comment No. 24 on State Obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Business Activities. The Committee recalled States' obligation to prevent the infringements of economic, social and cultural rights in the context of business activities (obligation to protect). In particular, the Committee emphasized that the obligation to protect at times necessitates direct regulation and intervention, such as restricting marketing and advertising of breast-milk substitutes, in accordance with the 1981 International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and subsequent resolutions of the World Health Assembly.
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SECOND WORLD BREASTFEEDING CONFERENCE
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The conference, co-organized by the South African Department of Health, IBFAN, BPNI, IBFAN-GIFA and IBFAN-ICDC, was held from 11 to 14 December 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Training on Breastfeeding and Human Rights
IBFAN-GIFA, in collaboration with the University of Port Harcourt and the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development of the University of Witswaterstrand, co-organised and delivered a 1-day training session on breastfeeding and human rights to 102 participants from 22 countries (Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malawi, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Tanzania, UAE, Uganda, USA, Zimbabwe) during the second World Breastfeeding Conference. About 90% of the participants declared that the specific objectives of the training (understanding of the HR framework, the issue of BF and the rights to health and food and the CRC review process) had been attained, and about 70% of them indicated that they were willing to prepare an alternative report to be submitted to the CRC for their country’s review.
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Symposium on Maternity Protection
IBFAN-GIFA sponsored and organized a symposium on Maternity Protection, in which Ms. Camille Selleger took part on behalf of IBFAN-GIFA, together with Maryse Arendt, Shoba Suri, Betty Samburu, Fofana Malang and Dexter Chagwena, who shared their perspectives and struggles to support breastfeeding in the labour sector. The event was moderated by Maryse Arendt on behalf of IBFAN-GIFA. On behalf of IBFAN-GIFA, Ms. Maryse Arendt also took part in a symposium on the BFHI and she moderated a technical session on women and children’s rights to maternity protection in the informal sector, while Ms. Camille Selleger took part in a technical session on Code implementation, highlighting the inclusion of the Code in various important human rights documents including HRTB Concluding observations.
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Keynote address on the Protection, Promotion and support of Breastfeeding in the framework of Human Rights
IBFAN-GIFA delivered a keynote address on day 2 of the conference on the topic of Protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding within a human rights framework, in which the history of the unregulated marketing for breastmilk substitutes was presented, as well as the history of the inclusion of the Code and the 3-pillar Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding into the human rights framework. This keynote address was attended by several hundreds of people, showing the interest for this matter and enabling participants to be informed about the latest developments related to breastfeeding and human rights.
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IBFAN tackles corporate influence in global health governance at the 70th World Health Assembly
In May 2017, delegates from IBFAN-GIFA, Baby Milk Action/IBFAN UK and FIAN International advocated under IBFAN accreditation for increased corporate accountability and effective safeguards against the undue corporate influence in global health governance at the 70th World Health Assembly held in Geneva.
In its statement on response to emergencies, IBFAN noted that emergencies are prime opportunities for commercial exploitation and for those whose main purpose is the expansion of the ‘Business of Malnutrition’ through unsolicited donations of breastmilk substitutes and baby food products. We also recalled that the WHO’s role is norm-setting rather than operational – promoting prevention and emergency preparedness protocols that will improve food security in the long term, helping to reverse this situation and improve public health generally. Read the full statement
In relation with noncommunicable diseases, IBFAN and FIAN International have expressed their concerns about WHO Global Coordinating Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of NCDs which gives disproportionate promotion to corporations that not only promote unhealthy foods, but are involved in land-grabbing, mono-cropping – undermining access to bio-diverse wholesome foods and environmental resources. Read the full statement
IBFAN and FIAN International and PHM commented on the biennial outcome report of the Second International Conference on Nutrition, highlighting among other issues the need for the work programme of the Decade of Action on Nutrition to comply with the human rights framework and guarantee access to effective and timely remedies for victims, to include promotion and protection of women’s rights as crosscutting elements of all areas of intervention and to ensure that trade and investment agreements do not harm human rights using Investor State Dispute Settlement mechanisms. Read the full statement
IBFAN and FIAN International also commented on the implementation plan of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity, expressing their satisfaction to see that many IBFAN comments to the draft plan were taken into account and recalling that breastfeeding constitutes a human right. States therefore have the obligation to provide mothers with accurate and unbiased information and counseling from the start of their pregnancy, including on the continuation of breastfeeding up to 2 years or beyond. IBFAN and FIAN International regretted that this key factor was not mentioned in the plan and noted that the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative should be mentioned as the external audit that guarantees implementation of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. IBFAN and FIAN International finally also called States to provide mothers with a minimum of 6 months of maternity leave and warned States against corporations investing in “nutrition education”. Read the full statement
IBFAN and FIAN International finally shared their concerns about the Framework for Engagement with Non State Actors (FENSA) and its ill-definition of terms such as ‘partnership’ ‘stake-holder’ and ‘trust’ which allows corporations and philanthropies to claim the right to participate and shape public health decision-making processes, side-lining governments, the UN and peoples’ human rights. IBFAN and FIAN International also emphasized the Gates Foundation application for Official Relations was a test of FENSA’s thoroughness which could and should have provided clarity on the relationship between WHO and the Foundation. Indeed, this point is crucial as the engagement of the Gates Foundation might have an influence on WHO’s nutrition policy setting. Read the full statement
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IBFAN-GIFA takes part in the 2nd session of the intergovernmental working group on TNCs and Human Rights
On 24 October 2016, the second session of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises (IGWG) opened at the UN in Geneva. The Working Group was established in 2014 by Human Rights Council Resolution 26/9 with the mandate to “elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises.”
The Treaty Alliance, of which IBFAN and IBFAN-GIFA are members, is an alliance of committed networks and campaign groups around the world who collectively help organise advocacy activities in support of developing such a binding international instrument. It issued a statement on the occasion of the 2nd session of the IGWG.
In addition, CIDSE, Friends of the Earth Europe, Brot für die Welt, SOMO and IBFAN have submitted a joint written contribution which focuses on three core elements of a future treaty: 1) adequate access to remedy; 2) effective enforcement mechanisms; and 3) provisions related to the trade and investment regime.
The written submission was supported by a series of oral statements:
- Oral statement on Panel I: Overview of the social, economic and environmental impacts related to transnational corporations and human rights, and their legal challenges
- Oral statement on Panel III subtheme I: Examples of international instruments addressing obligations and responsibilities of private actors (drafted by IBFAN and focusing on the Code)
- Oral statement on Panel IV: Open debate on different approaches and criteria for the future definition of the scope of the international legally binding instrument
- Oral statement on Panel V: Strengthening cooperation with regard to prevention, remedy and accountability and access to justice at the national and international levels
- Oral statement on Panel VI: Lessons learned and challenges to access to remedy (selected cases from different sectors and regions)
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Denouncing Code violations at Nestlé 150th AGM
IBFAN-GIFA took the floor at the 150thAnnual General Meeting of Nestlé on 6 April 2017 and addressed directly her speech to the new CEO of Nestlé, Mr. Ulf Mark Schneider. We stressed that in spite of the clear guidance of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Nestlé’s policy does not respect all of the Code’s provisions nor does it apply in all countries. Referring to the IBFAN Breaking the Rules 2014 report, we denounced Nestlé's regular and systematic violations of the Code in a large number of countries.
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Le Courrier denounces Nestlé's negative impact on babies' health
On 2 December 2016, in a special issue on the Swiss food company Nestlé, the journalists of the Courrier Laura Drompt and Christophe Koessler highlighted many areas of shadow in the group's activities, particularly in terms of food safety, marketing of breastmilk substitutes, bottled water and labor law.
The long-standing actions and advocacy of IBFAN and Baby Milk Action, including the monitoring of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, were highlighted.
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Breastfeeding promotion at the salon Bébé et moi at Palexpo
The Bébé et Moi fair took place this year at Palexpo, in Geneva, from 7 to 9 April 2017. Parents-to-be, parents and grandparents came to the 3-day fair and found a high number of stands with useful materials, flyers, books, products and services from a wide range of organizations and companies. IBFAN-GIFA participated in this fair and shared a stand with the NaitrEnsemble association. The stand organized the information available for the public in three categories: I am pregnant, Childbirth and The baby is born. Materials shared by IBFAN-GIFA included the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and IBFAN-ICDC Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules 2014 report, among others.
Find more pictures and comments on the fair at the NaitrEnsemble Facebook page: www.facebook.com/naitrensemble/
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Capacity building of health workers at HES Santé Geneva
On 23 March and 6 April 2017, IBFAN-GIFA delivered a course to the students midwives and nutritionnists of the Haute école de santé Geneva as part of the programme Marchez mangez malin. The first part of the course focused on the politics of breastfeeding, highlighting the key role of the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes as well as health workers obligations in this matter. The second part of the course underlined the implementation of the Global Strategy and the International Code in Switzerland.
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