<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><font size="6">FYI</font><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria" align="right"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB">4 August 2018<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria" align="right"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:20pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(149,179,215);background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB">Public health nutrition professionals’ comments
on<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:20pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(149,179,215);background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB">Time to Deliver in 2018: </span><span style="font-size:20pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(149,179,215)" lang="EN-GB">WHO
Independent High Level Commission on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs)<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 12pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Ahead of crucial negotiations at the
United Nations High Level Meeting on NCDs (UN HLM) to take place in New York in
September 2018, we, the signatories of this letter, researchers, civil society
members and advocates, would like to voice our concerns with the </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB">report “Time to
Deliver” launched 1 June 2018 in Geneva (<a href="http://www.who.int/ncds/management/time-to-deliver/en/">http://www.who.int/ncds/management/time-to-deliver/en/</a>).<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 12pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB">We wish to raise concerns regarding both the content of the
report and the private sector’s interference in the report’s development. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoCommentText" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB">We write this letter to provide a civil society perspective
that is not adequately represented by the </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Civil
Society Statement put forward 5 June 2018 by the NCD Alliance
(<a href="https://ncdalliance.org/news-events/news/ncd-alliance-statement-of-concern-poltical-declaration-un-hlm-on-ncds">https://ncdalliance.org/news-events/news/ncd-alliance-statement-of-concern-poltical-declaration-un-hlm-on-ncds</a>).
Although some of the concerns voiced in the NCD Alliance letter are similar to
our own, the NCD Alliance has a governance structure that is compromised, thus
limiting the power of the arguments it makes. The NCD Alliance is engaged with
pharmaceutical and other transnational corporations that are at odds with the
aims and objectives of public health nutrition.<span>
</span>At least 46% of the NCD Alliance budget comes from the pharmaceutical
industry and related industries. This puts the Alliance in a conflict of
interest situation in much of its work. Therefore, with this letter, we wish to
outline our concerns separately.<span></span></span></p>
<pre style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Courier"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></pre><pre style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Courier"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">We are concerned with several of the recommendations made in the report “</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB">Time to Deliver</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">”, We also want to draw attention to well-supported recommendations that have been offered by other institutions, even by WHO itself, that were not considered in Time to Deliver Annex 1 highlights specific comments on the document, and Annex 2 provides our recommendations for future work of the Commission. <span></span></span></pre><pre style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:10pt;font-family:Courier"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></pre>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">We would also like to raise questions about
the private sector´s influence on and possible interference with the Commission
and its outputs. </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">We
are particularly concerned about the participation of representatives on the High-Level
Commission who have previously been linked with the sugary drink industry and
representatives from the World Economic Forum which partners with 100 companies.
<span> </span>We are also concerned that the NCD
Alliance, an organisation that, as we explain above, is seriously compromised,
should be the only organization tasked with representing public interests on
the Commission. </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Public-interest
civil society groups have raised concerns previously about the private sector´s
influence in the NCD-related work of WHO, for example, when launching the
Conflict of Interest Coalition during the 1st UN General Assembly on NCDs,
demonstrating the concern of 161 NGOs to keep policy setting free from
commercial influence. <span> </span>Additionally, some
of us have also stressed (in a letter in May 2017) serious concerns over the
membership of the Working Group convened by WHO as part of the preparatory process
for the 27 September 2018 High-level Meeting on the prevention and control of
non-communicable diseases (NCDs).<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">In conclusion, we recommend that there
should be a zero-tolerance policy with regard to the involvement of food and
beverage industry, tobacco, alcohol or pharmaceutical industries or members and
organizations with conflicted interests, especially within the membership of
the Commission and the Working Group.<span>
</span>And, when referring to engagement with the private sector, all the work
of WHO’s Independent Commission on NCDs should be aligned with previous
recommendations. <span> </span><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">The “<i>Framework Convention of Tobacco Control”</i> (FCTC) is a good starting
point to highlight the relevant risks of engaging with the private sector and
can serve as a model for NCD prevention in terms of how to address the risks of
engaging with the tobacco, alcohol and Big Food and Beverage industries. Guidelines
on how to perform a risk assessment, including due diligence in interactions
with the private sector, must be explicit parts of the report “Time to Deliver”
as a minimum standard.<span> </span><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">The signatories strongly believe that if
guidance on this matter is not clear and vested private sector interests
continue to prevail in the public health policy arena, it will seriously hamper
efforts to achieve the NCD targets in most of the Member States.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 12pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Finally, as signatories, we are
appalled that the Report does not mention the right to adequate food and
nutrition as a central issue in the NCDs debate and in its key role in the
years left of Agenda 2030.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="PT-BR">1. Alejandro Calvillo, El Poder del Consumidor, Mexico<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">2.
Alessia BIGI, IBFAN-GIFA, Switzerland<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">3.
Angela Carriedo, Communications secretary, World Public Health Nutrition
Association, UK<span class="gmail-gi"><span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">4.
Arun Gupta, Regional coordinator IBFAN Asia, India <span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">5.
Barbara Nalubanga, Cochair IBFAN Global, Uganda</span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><br>
<span class="gmail-gi">6. Barrie Margetts, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Medicine,
Southampton, UK<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">7. Beverley Ann Lawrence Beech, Past Hon
Chair, Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services, UK<span class="gmail-gi"><span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">8.
Carlos Monteiro, Professor of nutrition and public health, University of Sao
Paulo, Brasil<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">9.
Claudio Schuftan, External affairs secretary, World Public Health Nutrition
Association, member steering council PHM, Vietnam<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">10.
David Sanders, Emeritus professor, University of Western Cape, and global
co-chair PHM, South Africa<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">11.
Elizabeth Sterken, Co-chair IBFAN Global and Secretary World Public Health
Nutrition Association, Canada<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">12.
Flavio L. Schieck Valente, FIAN International and Universidad de Pernambuco, Brasil</span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">13.
Geoffrey Cannon, Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition, University
of Sao Paulo, Brasil<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">14.
George Kent, Emeritus Professor, University of Hawaii, USA <span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">15.
Helen Crawley, First Steps Nutrition Trust, UK<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">16.
H.P. Sachdev, Pediatrics and Clinical Epidemiology, Sitaram Bhartia Institute
of Science and Research, India</span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><br>
<span class="gmail-gi">17. Hooi Choo, International Code Documentation Center, Malaysia<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">John
Mason, Professor Emeritus, Tulane School of Public Health and TM, USA<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">18.
Jorge Vega Cardenas, </span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Health
Workers for All Coalition, Netherlands<span class="gmail-gi"><span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">19.
Kaleab Baye, Director, Center for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa
University, Ethiopia<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">20.
Katherine Pettus, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, USA<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">21.
Laura Michéle, FIAN International, Germany<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">22.
Margaret Miller, President, World Public Health Nutrition Association,
Australia<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="PT-BR">23. Maria Alvim Leite, doctoral student, University of
Sao Paulo, Brasil <span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="PT-BR">24. Marisa Macari, El Poder del Consumidor, Mexico<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">25.
Marta Trejos, IBFAN Latin America and the Caribbean, Costa Rica<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">26.
Mira Shiva, Initiative for Health Equity in Society, India<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">27. Nicholas Freudenberg, City University of
New York School of Public Health and Health Policy, USA<span class="gmail-gi"><span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-m6448419033478427612m-5709610979362038004gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB">28. Olivia Yambi,
Policy and Projects Secretary, World Public Health Nutrition Association,
Tanzania</span></span><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">29.
Patrick Durisch, Health program coordinator, Public Eye, Switzerland<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">30.
Patti Rundall, Baby Milk Action and IBFAN UK, UK<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">31.
Radha Holla, Independent researcher, India <span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">32.
Regina Keith, Treasurer, World Public Health Nutrition Association,<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">33.
Roger Shrimpton, Adjunct Professor, Tulane School of Public Health and TM, Portugal
<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="PT-BR">34. Sabrina Ionata Granheim,<span> </span>Independent consultant, Norway<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">35.
Sara Gardunio, Membership secretary, World Public Health Nutrition Association,
Kuwait<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">36.
Ted Greiner, Editor of World Nutrition, World Public Health Nutrition
Association, Brasil<span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span class="gmail-gi"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">37.
Valerie McClain, writer, USA</span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><br>
<span class="gmail-gi">38.Vandana Prasad, Public health Resource Network, India <span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(192,80,77)" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(192,80,77)" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(192,80,77)" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(192,80,77)" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:18pt;color:rgb(149,179,215)" lang="EN-GB">ANNEX 1 Comments on specific
recommendations made in the report<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span>“Time to Deliver” does
not provide a clear focus on an action plan on priorities for the global south.
This, as the 40 million deaths attributed to NCDs every year, are driven by the
influence of the permanent and expanding presence of unhealthy food and
beverage industries, even in the poorest areas lacking basic needs such as
clean drinking water.<span> </span>These deaths are
wrongly attributed in the report to “<i>accidents
of geography and poverty that are tragically cutting lives short</i>”. This, of
course, implies that such deaths are natural and unavoidable rather than being
driven in large part by the unhealthy eating practices ultra-processed food industries
promote and profit from and that poverty is inevitable and not an effect of a
system that reproduces inequality and exclusion.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Among the recommendations made to member
states (MS) to introduce cost-effective interventions, there is no explicit
recommendation made for a 20% sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax to reduce SSBs
consumption, despite established evidence of the relationship of sugar
consumption to diabetes and obesity and evidence of widespread excessive
consumption far above WHO recommendations. In 2016, WHO published a recommendation
to include fiscal measures to limit the consumption of sugary drinks as one of
several interventions to tackle obesity and diabetes.<span> </span>We believe this recommendation must be
explicitly re-stated as a cost-effective intervention in this document, as it
has been proven to be so in modelling studies and in countries where it has
been implemented.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Recommendation 2 (p.19) mentions that
MS should set NCDs as a priority on national agendas but does not prompt or
highlight the “best buys” priorities for the NCDs on the agenda mentioned in
previous UN and WHO documents which have explicitly highlighted the relevance
and importance of reducing the harm of unhealthy diets as a major contributor
to NCDs.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Access to health care and improved
health systems is highlighted (p. 21), but access (incl. physical and economic)
to healthy, natural or minimally processed foods and culinary preparations
(that promote traditional diets), as well as sufficient and affordable water
and sanitation --that are key determinants of healthy diets and good nutrition--
are not mentioned explicitly in the recommendations. This ignores the
accumulating evidence of the effect these factors have on NCDs. <span> </span>Attention to food systems and the policies
shaping them, from production to consumption, is crucial for producing changes
in diets, preventing different forms of malnutrition--including overweight and
obesity--and reducing NCDs. <span> </span>The report
is silent on the major policy reforms needed in this area, including those
policies that support and protect small and medium scale producers who produce
the foods that form the base of traditional diets and culinary cultures. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">We believe that WHO’s role should be to
guide policy makers on regulations and other public health policy measures to prevent
NCDs/promote healthy diets, and to ensure that interactions with the private
sector are appropriate.<span> </span>We strongly
disagree on how recommendation 4 numeral I (p. 24) is presented in the
document: “<i>WHO should support
governments’ efforts to engage with the private sector for the prevention and
control of NCDs…”</i>.</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";background:white none repeat scroll 0% 0%" lang="EN-GB"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Recommendations are made to create a
forum with investors to shift health portfolios that “<i>should include attention to agriculture and food production, the introduction
of health and nutrition impact measures of investment and the role of public
investment to shape private investments</i>” (p.27).<span> </span>We believe this recommendation is a loophole that
invites COI situations, as private corporations are given a green light to influence
private and profitable priorities in ways that may override or ignore any
public health intervention. <span> </span><span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Contrary to recommending the
concomitant establishment of a forum with other organizations with academia,
foundations and public interest civil society organizations (and other actors
with non-commercial interests), we merely find a suggestion of setting up a
forum (“<i>could be created</i>”- p.27). <span> </span>This undermines the importance of the role of public-interest
actors in supporting governments in the design of preventive policy packages. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">The mechanisms to increase financing on
NCDs are said to include a “<i>Global
Solidarity Tobacco and Alcohol Contribution</i>” under recommendation 5,
numeral B (p.27).<span> </span>We do not believe any
of these industries should be involved in financing NCDs prevention, as their
primary interests (i.e., to increase profitability and returns on investment to
shareholders), are in conflict with prioritizing public health and NCDs
prevention<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">The recommendation on exploring the
establishment of a multi-donor trust fund to catalyse financing should
explicitly outline safeguards that adequately protect policy setting and
implementation from conflicts of interest (recommendation 5, page 27).<span> </span>The report only bans the tobacco industry in
such mechanisms but promotes the inappropriate involvement of corporations such
as non-alcoholic beverages, pharmaceutical, food and alcohol industries.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Recommendation 4 addresses engagement
with the private sector, academia and civil societies, with appropriate
mechanisms to promote transparency and accountability.<span> </span>Engaging with the private sector with the exception
of the tobacco industry is recommended: “<i>Governments
should be encouraged to engage constructively with the private sector—with the
exception of the tobacco industry</i>” (p. 23).<span>
</span>It remains painfully unclear to us how such guidelines or “<i>engagements</i>” will bring about
transparency and accountability as mentioned and suggested.<span> </span>It considers “<i>fresh relationships should be explored with the food, non-alcoholic
beverage… industries</i>” (recommendation 4, Numeral I, p. 24). As mentioned,
we believe none of these industries should be included, particularly after
pointing out that progress in reducing NCDs has been particularly slow because
of the huge influence these industries have over policy makers.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">The report explicitly calls for involving
industry in policy making including regulatory measures: “<i>governments should work with: food and non-alcoholic beverage companies
in areas such as reformulation, labelling and regulating marketing</i>”
(recommendation 4, numeral C, p. 23).<span> </span>This
is highly problematic and should be removed.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Additionally, this recommendation mentions:<span> </span>“<i>Governments
could also encourage economic operators in the area of alcohol production and
trade to consider ways in which they could contribute to reducing the harmful
use of alcohol in their core areas, as appropriate, depending on national,
religious, and cultural contexts</i>” (recommendation 4 Numeral C. p.23). <span> </span>This, in our view is not strict or adequate enough
to prevent problems associated with advertising and promotion that encourage the
consumption of alcohol, which is harmful to mental health and contributes to other
NCDs. Government regulations to protect public health is to be paramount and
cannot be replaced by industry self-regulation. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Recommendations on including multi-stakeholder
mechanisms, such as NCDs commissions and “<i>equivalents
of the Global Coordination Mechanism</i>” open the door to undue influences in
policy setting. They fail to address power imbalances and conflicts of interest
as has been demonstrated by the case of the SUN initiative. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 12pt 0.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">The engagements proposed with industry will
definitely undermine the recommendation given: “<i>Governments should employ their full legal and social powers to achieve
public health goals and to protect their populations. This includes policy and
legislative and regulatory measures that minimize the consumption of
health-harming products and promote healthy lifestyles.</i>” (recommendation 4,
numeral I p.24). The proposed engagements with food corporations will undermine
and risk legal and social powers, as industry participation on the agenda
setting for a given regulatory proposal might water down the legal and social
instruments (e.g. reducing the amount of a SSBs tax, procure auto-regulation
measures, ease nutrient criteria parameters) or the implementation process (by volunteering
or participating in its evaluation).<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 12pt 0.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Furthermore, the specific
recommendations at the end of the document do not include targeted
recommendations to reduce alcohol use. They do not address issues of food and
nutrition literacy for people living with diabetes or heart disease and are
focused on pharmacological treatments only.<span>
</span><span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 12pt 0.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">For the recommendation on preventing
NCDs through early nutrition interventions, reducing the consumption of ultra-processed
foods by infants and young children, including through effective marketing
regulations, implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk
Substitutes and subsequent relevant WHA Resolutions is essential.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 12pt 0.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:Symbol" lang="EN-GB"><span>·<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">The documents to monitor and evaluate
progress do not include a reference on how to address COI and including, accountability
and transparency indicators of interactions and engagements with the private
sector.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin:0in 0in 12pt 0.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-size:18pt;color:rgb(149,179,215)" lang="EN-GB">ANNEX 2.<span> </span>General recommendations <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Reformulation of products as a
voluntary strategy by industry is <u>not</u> a solution. It helps industry
white-wash its image, while keeping consumers hooked on ultra-processed foods. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Private-public partnerships as a
mechanism to go forward are highly problematic in that they water down public
health policies and erode accountability of governments to people. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Addressing NCDs also requires fundamental
reform of the current trade and investment regime, including the Codex
Alimentarius, to ensure that public health and the environment, rather than
corporate profit are the primary focus. For example, simple food labelling
strategies have been highly contested in several member states by companies
under investment treaties.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB">Recommendations on how to perform a
risk assessment of all interactions with the private sector, due diligence of
potential partnerships, and safeguards that ensure arms-length relationships
with the food and beverage industry must be explicitly part of the Report as a
minimum standard.<span> </span>Although the document
titled: “<i>Safeguarding against possible
conflicts of interest in nutrition programmes. Draft approach for the
prevention and management of conflicts of interest in the policy development
and implementation of nutrition programmes at country level</i>”, (<a href="http://www.who.int/nutrition/consultation-doi/comments/en/">http://www.who.int/nutrition/consultation-doi/comments/en/</a>)
has been an initial attempt to guide MS on how to manage engagement with the
private sector, we believe it is still insufficient.<span> </span>Engagement with the private sector risks
bringing potential vested interests to the strategies proposed by MS on their
NCDs policy. Therefore, explicit wording to this effect must be included in the
Report.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:Cambria"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"" lang="EN-GB"><span> </span></span></p>
<br></div></div>