UNSCN Chair

Roles of the UNSCN Chair and Vice Chair
UNSCN Chair Ramiro Lopes da Silva
Former UNSCN Chairs

Roles of the UNSCN Chair and Vice Chair

The UNSCN Chair, currently Ramiro Lopes da Silva (WFP) is on election a senior UN official and is expected to provide leadership in the field of food and nutrition policy. The Chair is supported by a Vice Chair, currently Werner Schultink (UNICEF). The Chair advocates and mobilizes actors and actions aimed at accelerating the reduction of hunger and malnutrition and the achievement of global goals. Specifically the Chair maintains regular high-level interaction with the Chief Executive Board (CEB), ECOSOC, and other UN bodies, Bilateral and the NGOC/SO community and engages all bodies that have a role in the reduction of malnutrition worldwide. The Chair guides the UNSCN in developing a strategic approach to bringing substantive nutrition matters to the attention of the CEB. The expected minimum term of office of the Chair is two years, and can be re-elected for a maximum of three two years terms, for a total of six years. The Steering Committee is responsible for selecting the Chair and the Vice Chair, which ideally should represent both low and high income countries. See Terms of Reference 2 and 3 in the SCN Strategic Framework 2006-2010

UNSCN Chair Ramiro Lopes da Silva

Ramiro Lopes da Silva, Deputy Executive Director of WFP, became the 11th UNSCN Chair on 1 October 2011, when the UNSCN Executive Committee welcomed and unanimously agreed to his appointment.

The UNSCN's mission to build a world where hunger and malnutrition are no longer impediments to human development is more critical than ever before. With an increasing number of hungry people in the world, it is timely to link nutrition concerns to food security measures thereby creating an opportunity for poverty eradication. It is paramount to address the double burden of malnutrition that are hitting developing countries including its intergenerational aspects.

Prior to his appointment as Deputy Executive Director of WFP in March 2010, Mr Lopes da Silva served as WFP's Director of Emergencies and Deputy Chief Operating Office. In addition to his WFP responsibilities, Mr Lopes da Silva was the UN Assistant Secretary General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq from 2002 to 2004, subsequently becoming in 2004, Senior Advisor to the United Nations Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs.

A Portuguese national, Mr Lopes da Silva was born in Beira, Mozambique. He has a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Mozambique.

Mr Lopes da Silva looks forward to working closely with all members of UNSCN in our common endeavour to build a world free of hunger and malnutrition.

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Former UNSCN Chairs

In its 34-year history the UNSCN has had eleven Chairs:

1977	G. Kermode - FAO
1978 - 1981	Richard Heyward - UNICEF
1982 - 1983	John R. Evans - World Bank
1984 - 1985	Moise Mensah - IFAD
1986 - 1995	Abraham Horwitz - PAHO (Emeritus)
1996 - 2000	Sir Richard Jolly - (UNDP)
2001 - 2002	A. Namanga Ngongi - (Special Representative of the Secretary General to the Democratic Republic of the Congo)
2002 - 2006	Catherine Bertini - Professor of Practice in Public Administration, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. Formerly United Nations Under Secretary-General for Management
2006 - 2008	Ann M. Veneman - Executive Director, UNICEF
2008 - 2011	Alexander Julius Müller - Assistant Director-General, Natural Resources Management and Environment Department, FAO

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UNSCN Chair

Roles of the UNSCN Chair and Vice Chair

UNSCN Chair Ramiro Lopes da Silva

Former UNSCN Chairs

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