A/71/282 processes, which may produce conflicts of interest at several levels unless governed properly. It has been questioned whether nutrition policies can deliver both shortterm financial returns for companies and long-term social and health benefits that help to effectively tackle global malnutrition challenges. 33 Adequate safeguards are thus needed to ensure that the private sector does not use its position as a “stakeholder” to influence public policymaking spaces on nutrition to promote commercial objectives. 43 1. Public-private partnerships 52. The private sector has significantly exerted its influence over nutrition governance through public-private partnerships, which may blur the line between public interest and financial gain. Involvement by the private sector may be driven by direct financial returns, such as tax breaks, market penetration and positive public relations, as well as increased corporate influence in nutritional policymaking. 53. Limited guidelines exist on how to manage such partnerships. They may be useful where public sector solutions are not available or effective, and the private sector may have an important role to play in driving innovation to reduce malnutrition. To avoid conflicts of interest, it is important to assess whether the private sector’s activities are compatible with the goal of reducing malnutrition. Actions motivated by profit seeking alone should be d iscouraged. A memorandum of understanding or legal contract that lays out specifies objectives to avoid and resolve conflict of interest and ensure effective and transparent monitoring can he lp to manage such partnerships. 44 54. In 2010, the Scaling Up Nutrition movement, a new type of multi-stakeholder and multisectoral partnership, was launched by the Secretary -General together with donors, businesses, researchers, Governments and civil society to provide support to 57 Member States to improve food policies during the first 1,000 days of child feeding. While the movement’s goals are welcomed and have seen success in reducing child malnutrition in several countries, especially in increased funding, capacity-building, advocacy and establishing a civil society network and coordinating with the United Nations, the initiative has also been subject to criticism. As a self-described “movement”, it has no accountability to the United Nations or other intergovernmental body or process. While business partnerships are promoted, there is no careful management of corporate involvement to ensure that it is confined to implementation, without influencing public health and nutrition policymaking. Conflicts of interest have also been identified where businesses involved in the initiative were simultaneously marketing foods leading to obesity and non-communicable diseases. While efforts were recently made, for example by excluding infant formula manufacturers that violate the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, it remains unclear as to how the initiative prevents companies from gaining improper access to markets and policymaking, or how violations are detected and evaluated. 44 __________________ 43 44 14/24 Vivica I. Kraak and others, “Balancing the benefits and risks of public-private partnerships to address the global double burden of malnutrition”, Public Health Nutrition, vol. 15, No. 3 (March 2012). John Hoddinott, Stuart Gillespie and Sivan Yosef, “Public-private partnerships and the reduction of undernutrition in developing countries”, IFPRI Discussion Paper No. 01487 (Washington, D.C., International Food Policy Research Institute, 2015). 16-13441