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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION Date: 17 March 2023 ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ Ms Elen Ohov ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ Adviser European Union Affairs and International Co- REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE operation Department BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L’EUROPE REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA Ministry of Social Affairs ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО Suur-Ameerika 1 Head office: 10122 Tallinn UN City, Marmorvej 51, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Estonia Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00; Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.who.int/europe Dear Ms Ohov, Global Congress on implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes WHO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, 20–22 June 2023 I am glad to inform you that WHO headquarters is organizing the above-mentioned event. Recognizing the central role that breastfeeding plays in the health of mothers and babies, and understanding the impact that aggressive and inappropriate marketing of breast-milk substitutes, bottles and teats has on breastfeeding mothers, the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1981 adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Forty years later, companies continue to disregard the established provisions of the Code, placing commercial interests before infant and population health. Subsequent WHA resolutions have repeatedly called upon national governments to enact, monitor and enforce the provisions of the Code. While a majority of countries have enacted at least some provisions of the Code in national laws and regulations, gaps and loopholes often remain in legislation, allowing violations of the Code to persist. Most countries do not have active systems to monitor marketing practices and identify illegal activity. Enforcement provisions are typically weak. WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund and civil society partner organizations have developed a variety of tools to advocate for Code implementation, better understand the Code, document the extent of BMS marketing, evaluate current laws, develop monitoring systems and strengthen enforcement mechanisms. If the Ministry of Health decides to have delegate/s at this Congress, we suggest that key government officials who work on the Code should participate. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Russian for all plenary sessions. Breakout sessions will be conducted separately in each of these languages but without interpretation. There is no fee for participation in the Congress, but the Regional Office is not able to cover the costs of travel of the delegates. For any queries about the registration process and formation of country delegations, please contact Ameni Mselmi ([email protected]). For questions about the content of the Congress and how it fits with broader WHO priorities, please contact Laurence Grummer Strawn ([email protected]) and Julianne Williams ([email protected]). Sincerely yours, Dr Nino Berdzuli Director Division of Country Health Programmes UN City, Marmorvej 51 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00 Email: [email protected] DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Website: https://www.who.int/europe Denmark Copy for information to: Ms Triin Uusberg, Head, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, Suur-Ameerika 1, 10129 Tallinn, Estonia H.E. Ms Katrin Saarsalu-Layachi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Estonia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28A, CH-1209 Genève, Switzerland H.E. Mr William Mart Laanemäe, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Estonia, Frederiksgade 19, 4th floor, 1265 Copenhagen K, Denmark Ms Kristina Köhler, Liaison Officer, WHO Country Office, Estonia, Paldiski Road 81, 10617 Tallinn, Estonia –2– Saatja: SHATOKHINA, Anastasia <[email protected]> Saadetud: 21.03.2023 18:26 Adressaat: <"Elen Ohov"> Koopia: <"Triin Uusberg">; <"SM Info">; Ms K. Saarsalu-Layachi <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; Kaisa.Mitt-Alvarez <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; KÖHLER, Kristina <[email protected]>; WICKRAMASINGHE, Kremlin <[email protected]>; WILLIAMS, Julianne <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; GRUMMER-STRAWN, Laurence <[email protected]> Teema: Global Congress on implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, Geneva, Switzerland, 20-22 June 2023: Request to Estonia Dear Ms Ohov, The attached letter is sent on behalf of Dr Nino Berdzuli, Director, Division of Country Health Programmes at WHO Regional Office for Europe, and refers to the Global Congress on implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes to be held in WHO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland on 2022 June 2023. If the Ministry of Health decides to have delegate/s at this Congress, we suggest that key government officials who work on the Code should participate. There is no fee for participation in the Congress, but the Regional Office is not able to cover the costs of travel of the delegates. For any queries about the registration process and formation of country delegations, please contact Ameni Mselmi (). For questions about the content of the Congress and how it fits with broader WHO priorities, please contact Laurence Grummer Strawn () and Julianne Williams (). Thank you, Best regards, Anastasia ShatokhinaProgramme Assistant WHO European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD Office) Mob.:&#43;7 926 909 08 89