GNC External engagement supports delivery of the GNC Strategic Response Plan by engaging with a variety of external stakeholders, namely the Cluster Lead Agency (UNICEF), donors, development actors, and others.

Cluster Lead Agency engagement

UNICEF is a Cluster Lead Agency (CLA) for the GNC at global level and leading or co-leading nutrition clusters at national and sub-national levels. UNICEF has invested a lot in its role as a CLA since activation of clusters in 2006. One of the significant achievements of the UNICEF role as a CLA was producing in 2015 a Cluster Coordination Guidance for country offices that outlines roles and responsibilities of UNICEF’s staff in supporting and leading cluster approach at national level.

GNC - CLA engagement objectives:

• To undertake joint advocacy (with other UNICEF-led clusters and Area of Responsibility) to ensure that clusters are adequately resourced at global and country level.
• To improve preparedness in national nutrition platforms in highly vulnerable and fragile countries.
• To improve links with UNICEF programme division to ensure better provision of technical support and leadership at global and country level.

Additional information:

• Evaluation of UNICEF as a Cluster Lead Agency, Avenir Analytics, 2013 (CLARE)
• Cluster Coordination Guidance for Country offices, UNICEF, 2015
• Second evaluation of UNICEF as Cluster Lead Agency (‘CLARE II’), 2020

Resource Partners

To ensure delivery of its strategic plan, GNC engages with donors at both global and country level with the following objectives:

• To demonstrate value added of coordination for better outcomes (including joint/impartial needs assessments, enhanced engagement with development actors, capacity building of national actors).
• To advocate with donors and hold them accountable to coordination/nutrition-related commitments in the Grand Bargain, particularly multi-year funding and reduced earmarking of funding.

Over the years, GNC has collaborated with a range of donors who support specific activities aligned with GNC’s strategic objectives. To build on this foundation, the GNC launched its  Resource Partner Engagement Action Plan 2024-2025 to deepen engagement with existing donors while broadening funding sources to effectively implement its Global Strategy 2022–2025.

In addition to the UNICEF Global Thematic Funds, the following donors fund activities in the GNC work plan in the 2024-2025 period:

• Global Affairs Canada  
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
• H2H Network
• Irish Aid
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
• Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
• Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
• United States Government
• UNICEF Canada

Additionally, recognising contributing of donors to shaping agenda of the humanitarian response, from 2019 GNC has included donor representatives to the Strategic Advisory Group.