Topic: 2026 – Combating Malnutrition
Country: France
Delegate Name: Siddaly Sykes
Committee: UNICEF
Delegation: France
Name: Siddaly Sykes
Combatting Malnutrition
Malnutrition has proven to be one of, if not the greatest threats to children’s survival globally. For children under the age of five, malnutrition is the cause for half of all recorded deaths. The causes of malnutrition are dependent on each country, and the forms in which malnutrition take are also varied. Undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, obesity, diabetes, stunting, and wasting are all examples of malnutrition exhibited in children across the world. Though prevalent in every country, malnutrition is most often aligned with impoverished areas, areas of conflict, and countries where climate change has devastating impacts. All of these factors lead to inadequate access to healthcare, lack of education, and lack of food and clean water resources, ultimately contributing to malnutrition amongst children in these areas. While we must focus on directly assisting those affected currently by implementing aid programs and providing these groups with adequate nutritional resources, We must simultaneously focus on addressing the long term effects malnutrition could have on these groups. The World Bank states that children experience acute malnutrition across particularly South Asia and Africa will grow up to be less than half as successful as they could be, creating a terrible cycle of poverty, malnourishment, and underdevelopment in these areas (France). The adverse effects malnutrition has had and will continue to have on children and in turn on the world cannot continue at the rates in which they are today.
The Delegation of France considers solving the issue of malnutrition in children to be a top priority. For France, malnutrition most commonly takes the form of anemia, low birth weight, obesity, and diabetes, and occurs in children as well as adults (France). These issues are often not life threatening for children in France, but with trying to completely eradicate the issue of malnutrition, as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 2, the Delegation of France is working to address these internal issues through a myriad of initiatives and programs. From a global standpoint, France has taken major strides towards reducing malnutrition, becoming an established “champion of nutrition”, collaborating with other countries to eliminate malnutrition across the world (Leading). The Agence Française de Développment (AFD) is the world’s oldest development bank and recognizes the importance of secure and stable nutritional systems and products for children. The AFD has consistently supported the French- owned Action Against Hunger (ACF), the only operational NGO solely focused on eliminating malnutrition (Leading). The ACF, since its creation in 1979, has connected with over 50 countries to provide nutritional support, has developed methods in which to measure malnutrition which are now used universally, and has developed several life-saving innovative nutritional solutions (Leading). France also, in 2025, led the meeting Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G) which assembled several members of the UN to discuss and develop commitments to solving the issue of malnutrition as well as the issues caused by malnutrition. At the end over 400 commitments were created with over $28 billion provided to focus on enhancing sustainable food systems, improve health systems, and increase global access to basic food security and health coverage (Final). These ideas, supported and largely funded by France are important steps towards France’s goals of eradicating malnutrition, but real, impactful action is needed to realize these objectives.
The crises we face today are multifaceted, complex issues that can only be solved through coordinated action between each country of the United Nations. With the commitments outlined in N4G, each able country must uphold their obligations to fund the developments enacted through international cooperation. With funding, the delegation of France stresses the point that we must direct our funds to the most vulnerable areas to create the most cost-effective solutions. With that, we must first address the outstanding challenges affecting these areas, such as poverty, lack of education, and other social conditions widening the gap between the rich and poor. By directing funds to creating cost effective nutritional solutions such as SQLNS, increasing educational opportunities, and providing job opportunities in areas most heavily impacted, we have the ability to end the cycle of hunger and suffering too many children and their families endure. The delegation of France believes that we must also dedicate a portion of the funding collected to an emergency fund for crises that should arise around the world. Not only would this act as a safety net possibly saving millions of lives from facing malnutrition or death, but would also ensure the vicious cycle of poverty malnutrition creates cannot begin. The steps to reducing malnutrition are not easy, and the crises that we face today are formidable. This being said, we as the United Nations cannot stand idly by while millions of children die because of malnutrition. Collaboration and organization is the only way to creating and maintaining impactful solutions, and the Delegation of France believes that a future without malnutrition crises is possible if we can work together.
Works Cited
“AFD Group and Nutrition.” AFD, www.afd.fr/en/ressources/afd-group-and-nutrition. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
Final Statement, nutritionforgrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/EN-20250704-Joint-Statement-N4G-Paris_Final-version_website.pdf. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
“France.” Global Nutrition Report | Country Nutrition Profiles – Global Nutrition Report, globalnutritionreport.org/resources/nutrition-profiles/europe/western-europe/france/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
“Leading the Fight against Malnutrition: France’s Historic Role in the Run-up to Nutrition for Growth.” Donor Tracker, donortracker.org/publications/leading-the-fight-against-malnutrition-france-s-historic-role-in-the-run-up-to-nutrition-for-growth#france-as-a-nutrition-champion. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
Malnutrition in Children – UNICEF Data, data.unicef.org/topic/nutrition/malnutrition/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
