Dear Lactnetters,

   I would like to share what I know about what is going on at  UNICEF re our breastfeeding world right now.
   The organization is a fund - not an arm of the UN. It began as an Emergency Children's Fund. The UNICEF National Committees are fundraising NGOs in their various countries in the developed world. They provide about one third of UNICEF's annual budget. This is why you buy cards and other items. Some people in the National Committees are paid and many are volunteers. The remainder is supported by the UN Member States , i.e.countries., private donors, etc.
   UNICEF activities are carried out mostly by regional and country offices in developing parts of the world. There are also campaigns, such as the BFHI of the 1990s and HIV/AIDS prevention of the new millenium, which involve the entire world. National Committees promote and support the campaigns that are worldwide for their own countries. There is a lot more but this is a general idea.
   The head of UNICEF has traditionally been chosen by the US - probably because the US gives/raises the most money.
   
That is the way it has been for the past fifty something years. I am not sure of the Board of Directors, I do know more re the functioning of the National Committees.
   The bottom line is that it is a FUND. They need to make money or get donations in order to work. Your National Committee is your first connection to this fund. Your goverment is  probably a donor.

   Re what is going on right now. Mrs. Veneman has not been in the post for a long time, in fact, only about four months. She was the Secretary of Agriculture. 
    
   From what I have read on the Lactnet ,WIC has made enormous progress during the years of her tenure. I remember the postings about the few million dollars that WIC was givien in the beginning for breastfeeding promotion. We now see all of the wonderful work that is being done as well as the huge increases in breastfeeding promotional budget. Nearly one half of all of the children born in the USA use the WIC services.
   Some of the literature indicates that the rise in breastfeeding rates of WIC babies has been higher than the US in general. 
    
   Could things be better - sure. Is WIC the biggest purchaser of infant formula in the US - sure. But I bet it is buying less than it did some years ago.
   I am also sure that Mrs. Veneman did not have her hand in the actions we are protesting. Why - they are little fish in the big pond. Someone else must have had the idea and carried it out.


   What has happened?
   The permanent post of legal counsel/advisor in the Nutrition Section has been cancelled. 

   There will no long be a Senior Advisor in Infant and Young Child Feeding and Care.

   There will be no senior person who will be able to give support and info on the CODE and breastfeeding.

   Are we up the creek re breastfeeding and UNICEF? Perhaps.

   Is this Mrs. Veneman's fault. No, it has been going on for some years. James Grant made breastfeeding one of the pillars of UNICEF work. Since his death it has all but disappeared. 


   The logic that was given in recent years was that breastfeeding is important in every area so it should be stuck in every division. Of course this meant that people were dismissed and others we just given titles. There was a strong breastfeeding core in the Nutrition Unit for some years and it slowly disappeared. We have all suffered mightly from this loss of support.
   The organizations creating the information to disseminate and educate about breastfeeding and the CODE are the NGO's like IBFAN. These NGO's are now in big trouble because they are losing funding as well. We all need to support them and not just take from them. There will be no NGOs soon if we do not wake up.


   The legal staff at UNICEF Headquarters dealing with the CODE: 
   David Clark, was a magnificent source of support to IBFAN and to many of us who turned to him. We have ALL have benefited by his efforts in one way or another. 
   My personal feeling is that Mrs. Veneman inherited this almost breastfeedingless entity and she just sees what is there now. 
   She needs to learn about what was before and how breastfeeding was of such great import. I know she is proud of the work she did with WIC.
   What can we do right now? I am not sure, and trying to find out what would be the most helpful and certainly would share any new knowledge with all of you.
   Slamming Mrs. Venemen in public without any knowledge of who she is or what she has done is not fair. This kind of thing backfires, I know that she received so much unconstructive and negative mail that she is no longer looking at it and we are all getting the standard email.
             I hope this has been of help to some of you.

       

           Evi Adams, IBCLC

           Ashdod, Israel (in NY for a few months)

          Israel IBFAN, BFHI Israel and more



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