The Royal College of Midwives is the official host of this triennial congress, which the ICM hold in different countries every time. ICM strive to move the congresses from one continent to another, and it usually results in midwifery's role in maternal and child health getting increased positive attention wherever the congress is held. I attended for the first time in Vancouver in 1993, and it raised the roof when a government official announced from the podium that midwifery would be legalized in British Columbia shortly. I served on the Scientific Committee for the next congress which was in Oslo in 1996; I am very proud of the congress we held, and there was no promotion of breastmilk substitutes or exhibits by manufacturers of same. There were pacifiers on display and probably pump manufacturers as well. I was too busy during the actual congress to do much besides concentrate on the scientific program, did not get to visit the commercial exhibit until it was being dismantled on the last day. But everyone involved in the Congress knew that there was something called the WHO Code, if for no other reason than that I never stopped reminding them. The host association's awareness of the WHO Code should be without consequence, because ICM ought to have clear guidelines for hosts on how to handle the issue. Unfortunately this does not seem to be the case, and when I looked in at the website just now, I found this document, a prospectus for potential sponsors and exhibitors at the congress in Glasgow next month, in which I could find no mention whatsoever of the Code. http://www.midwives2008.org/docs/ICM_Industry_Prospectus.pd I have personally decided not to attend because of their willingness to accept sponsorship from Martek and I have given that message to the Secretary General of the ICM. According to the ICM's own website, they are partners with WABA, so it is surprising indeed that they don't make use of WABAs expertise in identifying companies who contravene the Code. If ICM are anything like midwives on the whole, and they probably are, then breastfeeding takes a back seat to care during labor and birth. Prenatal care is also considered more glamorous than postpartum care. Breastfeeding is the neglected stepchild in midwifery care. So any midwives on this list would be well advised to contact their national organization and let them know how you feel about the international confederation cozying up to biomedical industry. Cheers Rachel Myr, not at home and thus not reading even the archives as thoroughly as I like, here in Norway *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome