For this issue of SCN News, which is dedicated to Dr. Abraham Besrat, the Secretariat team presents the full set of papers delivered at the 29th session in Berlin in March of this year on the theme nutrition in conflict and crisis. The symposium touched upon the politics of humanitarian aid delivery, livelihood security, and the right to food and nutrition during emergencies. In keeping with the tradition of SCN symposia, the day provided an opportunity for UN agencies, NGOs/civil society and bilateral development partners to interact, share experiences and debate the difficult issues their agencies face in their daily work. The recommendations for SCN action will be taken up by the SCN Working Group on Nutrition in Emergencies, now chaired by Dr. Marjatta Tolvanen.
The symposium day also provided an opportunity for a public announcement of the appointment of the 8th SCN chair, Ms. Catherine Bertini, who will begin her two-year term on August 1, 2002. Ms. Bertini stepped down as Executive Director of the World Food Programme in April of this year. From WFP's headquarters in Rome, Ms. Bertini carried out the agency's dual mandate: to avert starvation in humanitarian crises through emergency operations and to promote long-term development projects aimed at breaking the deeply rooted hunger-poverty cycle. Under Ms. Bertini's leadership, the WFP underscored the seminal role of women in food aid and pioneered the use of food aid to empower women. Ms. Bertini previously worked in the US government where, from 1989 to 1992, she was the Assistant Secretary for Food and Consumer Services in the Department of Agriculture. Having known and worked with Ms. Bertini for many years, I am fully confidence that she will provide very dynamic leadership for the SCN's important work as well as lead the SCN in new and exciting directions.
Indeed, the SCN is still "the SCN". Since the last issue of this journal a decision was taken on the new name. After extended discussion on the many possibilities during the 29th session and afterwards, the overwhelming majority of SCN participants favoured retaining the acronym "SCN" simply because it is so well known. In fact, the acronym dates back to 1976. Thus, the SCN is now the Standing Committee on Nutrition of the United Nations System, and reports to the Chief Executives Board, chaired by the Secretary General. Information about the Chief Executives Board (in a way the SCN's new parent body) is available on the CEB website: ceb.unsystem.org One role of the CEB is to ensure that effective arrangements are in place for inter-agency coordination in areas of UN system-wide concern, like nutrition, which are crucial for development and for which several agencies share responsibility.
The SCN Secretariat welcomes Dr. Claudine Prudhon as RNIS Coordinator, beginning 17 July 2002. Previously Claudine worked with Action Contre la Faim, France. She has extensive experience, both field and headquarters, with emergency nutrition issues. Claudine takes over this demanding position from Brian Jones who has compiled and written RNIS quarterly bulletins since December 2000. I extend sincere appreciation to Brian for the professionalism he brought to the RNIS work over the last year and a half as well as his unfailing good humour and enthusiasm for long hours of work and wish him well in his new position with Oxfam, UK. In addition, Mr. Tonny Bogere recently joined the Secretariat as a summer intern. Tonny is working on a web-based information sharing system dealing with nutrition and HIV/AIDS. Tonny is from Uganda where he worked for several years caring and supporting people with HIV/AIDS.
This past several months have again seen several important appointments in the nutrition field. Dr. Eileen Kennedy has been named the new Global Executive Director for the International Life Sciences Institute. Dr. Kennedy, former Acting Undersecretary of Research, Education and Economics at the US Department of Agriculture assumed her position in mid March. Dr. Kennedy served on the SCN's Advisory Group for Nutrition in past years, and has been involved extensively in the nutrition work of many UN agencies. Most recently, she chaired the FAO consultation on human energy requirements. Dr. Rolf Carrier has been appointed as Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. The progress of the GAIN initiative has been reported in the pages of SCN News over the past year. Dr. Carrier is widely known in the nutrition field; he has served in a number of senior field posts for UNICEF in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia where he has been a highly effective voice for nutrition.
Finally, as chair of the SCN for these past two years, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to those UN agencies, bilaterals and NGOs who have assisted me to raise the visibility of nutrition as a development issue through the SCN network.
Nmanga Ngongi
