"Interventions to improve nutritional status are of critical importance to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Micronutrient deficiencies, mainly iron, zinc, vitamin A and iodine deficiencies affect billions of people worldwide, are responsible for more than one million child deaths per year and prevent a third of the world’s children from reaching their intellectual and physical potential. The SMILING project ""Sustainable Micronutrient Interventions to controL deficiencies and Improved Nutritional status and General health in Asia"" will produce a new, feasible and sustainable nutrition intervention agenda, which will be country-specific and directed to women of reproductive age (non-pregnant women, pregnant and lactating women) and young children under 2 years of age. The project focuses specifically on the South-East Asian region because of the diversity in the extent and severity of malnutrition in that region and on the diversity of political, economic, social and cultural contexts. The SMILING proposal deliberately avoids expressing pre-conceived views on which interventions should be prioritized currently or in the future as the deliverables of the Action will reflect the views and opinions of a wide range of stakeholders in the region who will be consulted during the project.The ultimate objective of the Action is to integrate priorities for appropriate, efficient, feasible and sustainable interventions to improve micronutrient status, health and development of women of reproductive age and young children primarily into the national policies of the five target countries in SE Asia and in the agenda of the civil society, private sector, international organizations and NGOs. The goal is not only protecting people from hunger but also to guaranty food and nutritional security to these most vulnerable groups, thereby contributing directly to MDG1, MDG5 and MDG4 and as well by extension to MDG2 and MDG6."