On November 18, 2024, Cambodia proudly hosted the inaugural South-East Asian School Meals Coalition summit in Siem Reap province. The three-day event aims to promote human capital development and transform food systems across the region, according to a joint press release.
This summit brought together high-level stakeholders from various South-East Asian nations, along with representatives from China, Japan, and South Korea. Notably, the School Meals Coalition, a global alliance co-chaired by Finland, plays a key role in this collaborative effort. The Coalition aims to enhance children’s health and education through sustainable school meal programs.
“This summit represents a crucial opportunity for South-East Asian nations to collaborate on policies that promote children’s health, education, and future potential,” stated the press release. Furthermore, it aims to ensure that every child in South-East Asia receives a healthy and nutritious school meal every day by 2030.
Advancing school meals worldwide
The Government of Finland strongly supports the School Meals Program. They back the World Food Programme as the School Meals Coalition Secretariat and fund school meal initiatives in selected countries. Additionally, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development will serve as a School Meals Coalition Champion and co-chair, advocating for school meals on a global scale. Furthermore, the Finnish government is committed to advancing the Coalition’s objectives by co-leading its task force and coordinating strategic activities.
In Cambodia, the local government and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport actively support a national Home-Grown School Feeding program. Currently, this initiative benefits nearly two-thirds of all targeted schools. Moreover, it aims to reach 1,114 schools and provide meals to over 300,000 students by 2028.
Furthermore the Cambodian Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, Hang Chuon Naron, emphasized the summit’s significance as a valuable platform for sharing best practices. He stated that “This summit underscores Cambodia’s dedication to nurturing human capital, fostering economic growth, and ensuring the well-being of children.”
As the summit progresses, participating nations are eager to establish effective partnerships. These collaborations aim to tackle hunger, promote health, and ensure that children across the region have access to nutritious meals.
furthermore Cambodia proudly hosted the inaugural South-East Asian School Meals Coalition summit in Siem Reap province
Source: The Star
