WHO co-hosted a side event on “Sustainable Food from the Ocean for Food Security and Nutrition” during the high-level UN Ocean Conference held 5–9 June, in New York. The event was organized by the Norwegian Ministry of trade, industry and fisheries, together with WHO and partners from Grenada Island, UN Environment, UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), FAO, Norwegian national institute for seafood and nutrition research (NIFES), Norwegian Centre of Expertise Seafood Innovation Cluster and CARICOM.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the WHO Office at the UN, Dr Nata Menabde, emphasized the importance of ensuring sustainable fisheries as it has intertwined benefits with the SDG goals. This will assist with reducing future poverty levels, promote seafood to reduce global malnutrition, and lead to sustainable oceans while protecting marine ecosystems.
She also encouraged member states to implement concrete, nationally-determined policies and programmes that align with the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025 to foster synergies aimed to collectively achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Other speakers included Tone Skogen, State Secretary of the Government of Norway who opened the floor and spoke of the Norwegian experience in sustainable food production; Arni Mathieson, ADG of Fisheries and Aquaculture of FAO, who stated the immense benefits that fish have as a vital contributor to food security and nutrition; Ibrahim Thiaw, Deputy Executive Director of UN Environment, who emphasized that healthy oceans mean healthy people; and Omar Figueroa of CARICOM, who shared benefits of having food from the ocean. In addition, a representative from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) intervened from the floor to strongly stress the role of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the discussion and highlighted the work of WHO.