Rapid Responses to:

NEWS EXTRA: Owen Dyer Loss of Unicef post raises concern among child nutrition pressure groups BMJ 2005; 331: 720-a [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

UNICEF is Obligated to Provide Headquarters Support for Code Implementation

George Kent   (1 October 2005)

Legislation is opposed by the baby food industry

Mike Brady   (1 October 2005)

UNICEF is Obligated to Provide Headquarters Support for Code Implementation 1 October 2005
George Kent, Professor of Political Science Department of Political Science, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 USA Send response to journal: Re: UNICEF is Obligated to Provide Headquarters Support for Code Implementation	In Owen Dyer’s report, “Loss of UNICEF Post Raises Concern Among Child Nutrition Pressure Groups (BMJ October 1, 2005), Alan Court, director of the Unicef’s programme division, is quoted as saying, "We have come to the conclusion that more help is required than Unicef headquarters alone can provide. The urgent challenge we face is to build a strong legal network for infant feeding where it will have the most impact—in the countries themselves." If more help is required than headquarters can presently provide, the appropriate remedy would be provide additional staff to support the headquarters office, not to dismantle it. If there is to be a strong legal network for infant feeding, it will have to have a strong center. To relegate the task entirely and exclusively to the individual countries would be to act as if the international community as a whole had no particular obligations. UNICEF has a legal obligation to provide support from the headquarters office regarding all matters relating to the realization of human rights, especially the human rights of children. It also has a strong moral obligation to do so. Dyer reports that a spokeswoman said that UNICEF’s commitment to the code remains as strong as ever. "We believe that strengthening the ability of countries to develop their own legal expertise is the only long term platform for compliance with the code." If the motivation really is to help countries develop their own legal expertise, the capacity of the central office to support that should be enhanced, not destroyed. Decentralization can be useful, but not when it is used to evade responsibility. George Kent University of Hawai'i kent@hawaii.edu Competing interests: None declared
Legislation is opposed by the baby food industry 1 October 2005
Mike Brady, Campaigns Coordinator Baby Milk Action, CB2 1QY. Send response to journal: Re: Legislation is opposed by the baby food industry	The International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) investigated implementation of the World Health Assembly International Code and subsequent, relevant Resolutions in 7 countries (Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, England, India, Kenya and Mexico), publishing a report on this in 2004. In some of the countries legislation is working to stop violations and the results are being seen in reduced sales of breastmilk substitues and increased rates of breastfeeding. In other countries voluntary codes of conduct have been introduced and violations remain widespread. In all cases the industry has lobbied hard against the introducing of independently monitored and enforced legislation. In countries such as Brazil and India where legislation has been introduced it has had to be revised several times to close loopholes exploited by the industry. In this context, policy makers need support at national and international level to understand the importance of the Code and Resolutions and to face the challenge from an industry made up of some of the world's most powerful transnationals. The report 'Using International Tools to Stop Corporate Malpractice - Does it Work?' can be downloaded from http://www.ibfan.org/english/news/briefing/checksandbalances.html Competing interests: Baby Milk Action is a member of IBFAN which has written letters to UNICEF on this issue.