lthough the agenda for globalization may set econom-ic goals above health, we can utilize its tools and struc-tures to work toward peace and justice and a better worldfor all. In the last two decades, the global community hasdeveloped, ratified and/or adopted a variety of supportivelegal instruments, technical documents, strategies, guide-lines and global networks through which breastfeedingsupporters can work. These instruments can offset thenegative effects of globalization and provide tools to cre-ate breastfeeding cultures.

The International Code of Marketing of BreastmilkSubstitutes and subsequent relevant Resolutions ofthe World Health Assembly (www.who.org)restricts the marketing of artificial feedingproducts and sets out requirements forbaby food companies, the health care sys-tem and governments to ensure thatbreastfeeding is not undermined.

ACTION: Educate and train healthcare workers on the importance of, andhow to implement, the International Code.Help monitor the advertising and promotionof infant foods. Lobby governments to regulatethe marketing of these products.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (www.unicef.org/programme/breastfeeding/baby.htm) was design-ed to ensure that all maternities become centers of breast-feeding support. A hospital can be certified "baby-friend-ly" when it does not accept free or low-cost breastmilksubstitutes, feeding bottles or teats, and has implementedthe ten steps to support successful breastfeeding.

ACTION: Work with national breastfeeding coalitionsand organizations to promote and educate local hospitalsand birthing centres and encourage them to become cer-tified "Baby-friendly."

The Global Strategy for Infant and Young ChildFeeding (www.who.org) calls upon governments touphold the International Code and seeks to increasebreastfeeding rates to reduce malnutrition and death indeveloping countries, and to reduce the impact of child-hood obesity in industrialized countries.

ACTION: Write your local and federal governments toensure that they implement the recommendations of theGlobal Strategy to protect breastfeeding.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (www.unicef.org) is the most universally accepted human rightsinstrument in history. Every country in the world - with

the exception of the United States and Somalia -has ratified it.

ACTION: Educate mothers and childrenabout the rights of the child to be breast-fed through schools, daycare and moth-er-to-mother support groups.

The International Labour Organiza-tion's Maternity Protection Convent-

ion (www.ilo.org) contains specific rec-ommendations for maternity protection and

the support of breastfeeding mothers in theworkplace as a minimum global standard.

ACTION: Educate employers, union leaders, the healthcare system and mothers returning to work about theILO's Convention through union and company newslet-ters.

The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of dis-crimination Against Women (www.un.org/wome-watch/ daw/) is the only human rights treaty that affirmsthe reproductive rights of women. As such, it is an impor-tant tool for protecting a woman's rights to breastfeed herbaby.

ACTION: Use the Convention as a tool to protect womenwho are discriminated against for breastfeeding.

Tools for Action

A

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (www.codexali-mentarius.net) is a joint WHO/FAO program to set stan-dards for foods, including baby foods. It intends to insurefair trade practices in food trade and protect the health ofconsumers but is strongly influenced by the food industry.

ACTION: Work with governments and with non-govern-mental organizations who attend Codex meetings toensure that the International Code and relevantResolutions of the World Health Assembly are incorporat-ed into the standard setting for infant formula and com-plementary foods.

The Millennium Development Goals (www.undp.org/mdg) is an UNDP agenda for reducing poverty andimproving lives.

ACTION: Educate political leaders of the critical rolesthat breastfeeding can play in achieving many of theGoals by reducing child mortality, improving maternalhealth and promoting gender equality and the empower-ment of women.

Mother-to-Mother support (www.lalecheleague.org)Mother to mother support groups are a universal meansfor mothers to join together for support as well as sharingof information and the responsibilities of child rearing.For the Global Initiative for Mother Support (GIMS) visitwww.waba.org.br.

ACTION: Organize support groups in your communityfor pregnant women and new mothers. Assist new mothersto get in touch with local mother-to-mother supportgroups.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (www.unicef.org/programme/breastfeeding/baby.htm) was launch-ed in 1991 by UNICEF and the World HealthOrganization to ensure that all maternities, whether freestanding or in a hospital, become centers of breastfeedingsupport. A hospital can be certified "baby-friendly" whenit does not accept free or low-cost breastmilk substitutes,feeding bottles or teats, and has implemented 10 specificsteps to support successful breastfeeding.

ACTION: Work with your local hospital officials toensure that it adopts the 10 steps to successful breastfeed-ing to ensure that it becomes a certified Baby-friendlyhospital.

GLOBAL NETWORKS The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA)www.waba.org.br is a global network of over 500 indi-

viduals and organizations in 81 countries and individualswho believe that breastfeeding is the right of all childrenand mothers, and who dedicate themselves to protect, pro-mote and support this right.

The International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN)www.ibfan.org is a coalition of 150 voluntary organiza-tions in over 90 developing and industrialized nations work-ing to improve the health and well-being of babies andyoung children, their mothers and their families through theprotection, promotion and support of breastfeeding andoptimal infant feeding practices.

The Alliance for a Corporate-Free UN www.gifa.orgincludes a number of international organizations, includingIBFAN. The goal of the Alliance is to ensure that UN agen-cies do not partner with corporations that violate the aimsand principles of the UN, such as the International Code ofMarketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.

The International Forum on Globalization www.ifg .orgis an alliance of sixty leading activists, scholars, econo-mists, researchers and writers formed to stimulate newthinking, joint activity, and public education in response toeconomic globalization.

The People's Health Movement/Assembly/Charterhttp://p hmovement.org. believes that health is a social,economic and political issue and above all a fundamentalhuman right. The PHM actively works to promote andimplement initiatives that support breastfeeding cultures.

BOOKS/OTHER RESOURCESAlternatives to Economic Globalization (ABetter World is Possible), The InternationalForum on Globalization, Berrett-KoehlerPublishers, Inc, November 2002

Holding Corporations Accountable:Corporate Conduct, International Codes andCitizen Action, Judith Richter, Zed Books, 2001