Secretary-General Hails Work of Rome-Based Committee on World Food Security,

Pledges United Nations Support to Helping ‘End Hunger in Our Lifetimes’

 

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the meeting of the Committee on World Food Security, in Rome today, 15 October:

The work of the Committee on World Food Security is central to ensuring that all people realize their right to food.

You have achieved much since your reform in 2010.  You have responded to rising food prices, the growing impacts of climate change, land tenure problems and protracted food insecurity.  You have championed smallholders, nutritional resilience and sustainable production.   You have negotiated a comprehensive Global Strategic Framework for food and nutrition insecurity.  And you have become a model of multi-stakeholder governance; an example for all.

Today you are at the heart of the next big push — eliminating hunger in our lifetimes.  Our “Zero Hunger Challenge” means making sure that food systems are sustainable.  It means enabling smallholders — especially women — to double their productivity and income.  It means cutting down on appallingly high levels of food waste.  And it means that all people enjoy year-round access to nutritious food.  Success will mean an end to malnutrition in pregnancy and childhood stunting.

Your Committee is a powerful mix that includes Governments, civil society alliances, farmers, businesses and researchers.  You are showing the world a promising way to realize our shared goals.

The UN system will continue to work with you to respond to the challenge, to make this investment in people, to achieve an end to hunger in our lifetimes.

Thank you.

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For information media • not an official record