HRC63 - EU Statement - Enhancing equal access of children to adequate nutritious food EU General Comment
UN Human Rights Council
63rd Session – Item 3
Resolution L.32 – GC
Enhancing equal access of children to adequate nutritious food
EU General Comment
Mr./Madam [Vice-] President,
I speak on behalf of the EU Member States who are members of the Human Rights Council. This general comment has been agreed by the EU as a whole.
We express our appreciation to Indonesia and the Core Group for presenting the resolution on Enhancing equal access of children to adequate nutritious food. The EU appreciates the Core Group’s constructive and balanced approach to negotiations.
Child malnutrition undermines children’s enjoyment of human rights, including the rights to food, health, life, and education. The draft resolution addresses the persistent global challenge of child malnutrition from a human rights perspective, by calling for stronger efforts by States and the international community to enhance equal access of all children, without discrimination of any kind, to adequate nutritious food. We welcome the intention to reinforce the work of the Council and its mechanisms, within their existing mandates and available resources, to further advance the rights of the child.
The European Union has launched major policy frameworks, financial investments, and localized programs specifically aimed at enhancing equal access of children to adequate, nutritious food, targeting both domestic child poverty and global food insecurity. Malnutrition, in its different forms, affects indeed countries at all levels of development
The European Child Guarantee aims to secure free access to at least one healthy school meal per school day for vulnerable children in need, helping bridge social inequalities and combat nutritional poverty. The European Commission is a member of the School Meals Coalition.
Beyond its borders, the EU plays an active role in expanding nutrition access for the world's most vulnerable children. Through international platforms like the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, the EU pledged over 3 billion euro through 2027 to combat severe acute malnutrition globally, heavily targeting children under five and lactating mothers in fragile regions. The EU also collaborates closely with UNICEF, integrating humanitarian funding into local education and social protection systems to treat child wasting and build resilient, sustainable food environments during crises.
The EU Member States that are members of the Council will support this resolution and call on the full membership to do the same.