IBFN’s team at the 68th World Health Assembly. From Left to Right: Rebecca Norton and Lida Lhotska (IBFAN GIFA) Annelies Allain (IBFAN ICDC Penang) Joyce Chanetsa (IBFAN Africa) Constance Ching (IBFAN ICDC Penang) Barbara Nalubanga and Edoard Zerba (IBFAN Africa) Patti Rundall (Baby Milk Action IBFAN UK). Elzabeth Sterken, Arun Gupta, Dr Shoba and Marta Trejos left before this photo was taken.
CLICK HERE for the Framework for Engagement of Non State Actors (FENSA) as it was left at the end of the Assembly.
The proceedings of the Plenary and Committee Room discussions at the World Health Assembly were web streamed for the first time this year. And the NGO statements are online for a little while. CLICK HERE
The text of Statements on FENSA delivered at the 68th World Health Assembly in 2015 by HAI, IBFAN and Medicus Mundi are on the following links:
HAIFENSAStichting Health Action International
Sadly the FENSA Working Group meetings were only open to Member States. This is a shame considering their importance. The WG met every day for a whole week and still could not reach a conclusion. The lobby from the UK, US and others to adopt FENSA speedily would have been a great mistake. From IBFAN’s perspective the process should be opened up for public scrutiny and help sought from experts in conflicts of interest.
A big problem is that FENSA throws everyone together under the term Non State Actors, allowing food and drink industries and other commercial entities many appropriate privileges. The key issues of Conflicts of Interest, who should get Official Relations status, have joint work programmes and help fund WHO is left hanging.
Rereading the document and replacing the term NSA with TNC (Transnational Corporation) shows how confused and contradictory it is.
Press release below. CLICK Here forIBFAN’s Press release 18th May and here: comunicado de prensa for Portuguese version
Click here for Press coverage since then
Useful links:
Simon, M. (2015). Nutrition Scientists on the Take from Big Food: Has the American Society for Nutrition lost all credibility?, EatDrinkPolitics.
Criticizes financial ties between big food corporations and the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) –
http://www.eatdrinkpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/ASNReportFinal.pdf