Rome, Italy
July 31, 2009
FAO
Director-General Jacques Diouf has invited governments around
the world to participate in negotiations to agree on a
declaration for adoption by the World Summit of Heads of State
and Government on Food Security, to take place from 16 to 18
November 2009 in Rome. The decision to convene the summit was
taken by the FAO Council in June 2009.
To initiate the negotiation process, Dr Diouf has sent a
document to Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Development
Cooperation and Agriculture of members of FAO and the United
Nations.
The text, entitled "Secretariat contribution to defining the
objectives and possible decisions of the World Summit on Food
Security", calls for the complete eradication of hunger from the
face of the Earth by 2025 and for secure, sufficient, safe and
nutritious food supplies for a growing world population that is
projected to reach 9.2 billion in 2050.
The document proposes elements of a new world food security
governance structure. It also addresses issues of public and
private investment for increasing agricultural production in
developing countries, emergency food assistance, early reaction
to food crises, trade and support to farmers, market
instability, institutional and capacity building, food quality
and safety, transboundary pests and diseases of plants and
animals, as well as agriculture mitigation and adaptation to
climate change.
The document sent to FAO's member countries builds on the recent
G8 statement on food security, adopted in L'Aquila, Italy, a few
weeks ago.
G8 leaders called for decisive action to free humankind from
hunger and poverty by promoting sustainable production,
increasing agriculture productivity, with an emphasis on private
sector growth and smallholders, and committed themselves to
mobilize $20 billion over three years.
"I hope that the document will lead to a rich debate within
Member Nations, involving not only governments, but also the
private sector, farmers and non-governmental organizations, the
UN system and other international organizations and partners in
development, together with Ambassadors and Permanent
Representatives of the different regional groups," Dr Diouf
said. "The time has come to tackle the root causes of hunger and
find structural and lasting solution for world food security." |
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