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ations across the world have been urged to show their political commitment to fighting malnutrition and food crises by taking part in the upcoming Second International Conference on Malnutrition (ICN2) in Rome.

The Food and Agricultural Organization'€™s (FAO) senior food safety and nutrition officer, Shashi Sareen, said that ICN2, which would take place in Rome on Nov. 19-21 and was jointly organized by the FAO and World Health Organization (WHO), was being held not only to evaluate the progress made following the first international conference in 1992 but mainly to formulate member countries'€™ political commitment to addressing malnutrition and other crucial issues related to food, agriculture and health care.

'€œThe FAO and WHO decided to jointly organize ICN2 after member countries agreed on key policy commitments to fight malnutrition globally,'€ Sareen said.

ICN1 was attended by representatives from 159 countries. It is hoped that all UN member states send delegations to ICN2 to support a declaration that will be adopted during the conference.

'€œWe are hoping that the declaration will be put on their national development agendas,'€ she said at the Asia-Pacific regional workshop on malnutrition in Bangkok on Wednesday.       

Sareen explained that before the decision on the international conference was made, member countries had agreed on policies aimed at ensuring that people around the world had access to healthier diets.

'€œFollowing a series of intensive negotiations, representatives of the FAO and WHO member countries reached a consensus on a political declaration and voluntary framework for action, including more than 50 recommendations,'€ she said, adding that the agreement on the framework sent a powerful signal to the world that member countries were serious about nutrition.

Hiroyuki Konuma, assistant to the FAO director general, said ICN2 was important because it was expected to play a critical role in promoting food security, fighting malnutrition and addressing the food crisis in many parts of the world.

'€œICN2 is expected to play a strategic role in addressing malnutrition and the food crisis in many parts of the globe. More than half the world'€™s population is adversely affected by malnutrition, including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity,'€ he said.