SEAMEO RECFON obtained the approval from its 11th Governing Board (GB) Meeting to implement six special initiatives under its Third Five-Year Development Plan starting in Fiscal Year 2021-2022.

The special initiatives include the Institutionalization of Southeast Asian School-based Nutrition Promotion Working Group, Establishment of Southeast Asian Food and Nutrition Experts Hub, Learning Opportunities through Voluntary Engagements in SEAMEO RECFON’s Nutrition Goes to School (NGTS) Flagship Program for Young Professionals and Graduate Students, Regional Food and Nutrition Training Needs Assessment, Impact Assessment of SEAMEO RECFON’s NGTS Flagship Program, and Establishment of SEAMEO RECFON Virtual Office.

These special initiatives are among the 26 other special initiatives identified in the Centre’s four strategic foci on Regional Leadership and Synergy with Global Development, Meaningful Partnerships and Stakeholders’ Engagements, Product and Services Innovation, and Operational Excellence.  They are meant to contribute in achieving the Centre’s overall goal of promoting a quality lifespan for its stakeholders at various levels through multi-sectoral and inclusive food and nutrition interventions suitable in a given context in Southeast Asia as well as attaining its vision of becoming a “Centre of Excellence for building capabilities in food and nutrition for all in Southeast Asia.”

This year’s GB Meeting was held virtually on 20-22 September 2021 with seven members from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in attendance.  Three other activities were included in the meeting, namely: announcement of the 2021 Youth Creation Competition winners, stakeholders’ consultation meeting on SEAMEO RECFON’s new flagship program on Nutrition Goes to the Workplace, and signing of Memorandum of Understanding with six district governments in Indonesia for stunting alleviation through adoption of local specific food-based recommendations.

Other working papers approved and noted by the 11th GB Meeting were the Changes in the SEAMEO RECFON’s Staffing and Directorships in SEAMEO Centers, Follow up Actions Taken by SEAMEO RECFON on the 10th GB Meeting Agreements, Auditing Report for FY 2020-2021, Proposed Budget for Three Fiscal Years, Annual Report for FY 2020-2021, Extension of Term of Office of the Deputy Director for Program, End of Term of the Deputy Director for Administration, Updates on the Flagship Programs Accomplishments, Challenges and Opportunities, and  Significant Policy, Points, Agreements and Action Taken on Key Agenda Items from SEAMEO Meetings in FY 2020/2021.