The governance structure of the CNF was formally established in November 2023 and is described in detail in the Child Nutrition Fund Governance Basis. As per the Governance Basis, the CNF is comprised of three distinct members: financial partners, government partners and operational partners.
Financial partners engage in a formal funding agreement with the CNF (via UNICEF), contributing financial resources in the form of monetary and/or in-kind contributions with economic value.
Government partners are national governments that establish an annual or multi-year partnership agreement with the CNF that enables them to access the financial resources of the CNF.
Operational partners are non-state entities that enter into an operational partners agreement with UNICEF, allowing them to benefit from the initiative supported by the CNF.
The CNF is led by UNICEF and assisted by a Steering Committee. The Steering Committee comprises representatives from UNICEF, the three founding financial partners (the United Kingdom, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation), one representative from civil society organizations and one representative from government partners. Additionally, the Steering Committee can include up to three additional financial partners.
The Steering Committee reviews the CNF Strategic Results Framework on a triennial basis and provides recommendations to UNICEF on various strategic matters. This includes considering the recommendations of the Action Review Panel on Child Wasting, a mechanism that aims to improve the impact and sustainability of services to prevent and treat child wasting.
The CNF Secretariat at UNICEF is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the CNF. The Secretariat, under the overall responsibility of the CNF Manager, is accountable for: a) administration, operations and resource mobilization; b) management of country relations and applications to the CNF; c) planning, monitoring and reporting related to CNF resources; d) development of CNF-related communication, and; e) preparations and facilitation of the quarterly Steering Committee meetings.
