In May 2000, at the World Salt Symposium in The Hague, The Netherlands, executives of the salt industry met with leaders of governments and NGOs and directors of international organizations to consider how they could better collaborate to accelerate the global progress towards ending iodine deficiency forever. An agreement was reached to form the Network for Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency, a global coalition of public, private, international and civic organizations, with the goal of harmonizing and supporting activities that assist countries in reaching the goal of sustained IDD elimination through universal salt iodization.

Launch of the Network

Formally launched on May 8, 2002 at the U.N. Special Session for Children, this collaborative, which functions through the abilities and resources of the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), Kiwanis International, the Salt Institute, the European Salt Producers' Association (ESPA), the Chinese Salt Industry Association, the Micronutrient Initiative (MI), the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD), the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), will be the global hub out of which many of the future efforts to eliminate iodine deficiency and protect newborns from iodine deficiency will be undertaken.

To celebrate the ethos of international and interagency cooperation, which was characterized in the launch of the Network for Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency, a diverse panel of speakers was assembled. Those present included U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Tommy Thompson, WHO Director General, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and CEO of Morton Salt, Walter Becky, among others.

Clicking on the hyperlinks underneath the images of the speakers shown below will allow you to read, hear, or watch a video of important statements made by the individual.

Please note that playing the video clips requires a higher speed connection (384 kbs), while playing audio clips only requires a 56 kbs connection (i.e. dial-up modem). Both video and audio clips require the Windows Media Player.

Government and Agency Speakers
Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General, WHO	Watch Video (0:39 sec) Hear Audio (0:38) Read Important Statements
Roger Moore ("007"), UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador	Watch Video (0:42) Hear Audio (0:42) Read Important Statements
Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh	Watch Video (0:38) Hear Audio (0:37) Read Important Statements
Beriz Belkic, President of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Read Important Statements
Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein, Vice President of Tanzania	Watch Video (0:27) Hear Audio (0:27) Read Important Statements
Industry and Civic Speakers
Dong Zhihua, President of China National Salt	Read Important Statements
Floris Bierman, CEO of Akzo Salt European Salt Producers Association	Watch Video (0:25) Hear Audio (0:25) Read Important Statements
Walter Becky, CEO of Morton Salt	Watch Video (0:21) Hear Audio (1:01) Read Important Statements
Robert Moore, Vice-President and Treasurer of Kiwanis International	Watch Video (0:38) Hear Audio (0:59) Read Important Statements
Donor Government Speakers
Susan Whelan, Canadian Minister for International Cooperation	Watch Video (0:44) Hear Audio (0:43) Read Important Statements
Eveline Herfkens, Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation	Watch Video (0:25) Hear Audio (1:16) Read Important Statements
Tommy Thompson, U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services	Watch Video (0:56) Hear Audio (1:28) Read Important Statements
Special Speaker
Anatoly Karpov, UNICEF Regional Ambassador for Central and Eastern Europe, Commonwealth of Independant States and the Baltics	Read Important Statements

The Network for Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency will be an engine which helps to drive the world into a brighter tomorrow. A brighter tomorrow includes a world without iodine deficiency.

Perhaps the remaining 30% of households that do not consume iodized salt will provide the greatest challenge that those warring against iodine deficiency have faced so far. Regardless, the civic, industry, and government players involved have shown themselves to be committed to protecting the brains of newborns. The launch of the Network for Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency is a significant downpayment towards this success.