Nelson Mandela Peace Summit

 

 

 

Nelson Mandela Peace Summit

 

 

Freeing the world from hunger and want is a fundamental contribution to lasting peace.

These words are part of FAO’s constitution and were introduced by our founders in 1945 when the organization was created immediately after the end of the World War II as part of the collective efforts to eradicate hunger.

Nelson Mandela’s centenary once again obliges us to recognize that the promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms, as right to food and to economic and social development, are key for achieving inclusive and peaceful societies as set out by the 2030 Agenda.

Regrettably, the 2018 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, the SOFI, shows that today 821 million people suffer of hunger and malnutrition.

This means that one person out of nine in the world goes to bed hungry.

The increase of this number over the last years is due to two main reasons: conflicts and climate change.

We do not lack any evidence: where conflicts arise, hunger increases.

The relationship is direct, and the impact of wars and conflict on hunger and malnutrition is even worse if one considers that global military spending continues to increase while countries allocate scarce and sometimes decreasing resources to eradicate hunger and poverty.

According to the Global Report on Food Crises 2018, 60% of people who experienced acute hunger in 2017 were in conflict areas.

Earlier this year, by unanimously adopting resolution 2417 (2018), the Security Council drew attention to the link between armed conflict and conflict-induced food insecurity and the threat of famine.

This is an important step to which FAO has contributed by generating the evidence through the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the Global Report on Food Crises and the regular FAO-WFP briefs to the UN Security Council.

FAO is strongly committed to promoting food security and peace.

In 2016, together with several Nobel Peace Laureates, we established the FAO-Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance to tackle the twin problems of hunger and violence.

Nine Nobel Peace Laureates, including Betty Williams, Mairead Maguire, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Oscar Arias Sánchez, Jose Ramos Horta, Muhammad Yunus, Tawakkol Karman and Jose Manuel Santos are working with us to an integrated and coherent approach to peacebuilding.

Yesterday, we were happy to award Madam Graça Machel with an honorary membership of this Alliance, in honor of the work of Mandela for freedom and peace.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Conflict disrupts basic food systems on which people rely for their survival.

The agriculture sector is remarkably resilient, even during conflict.

As Mandela said, “overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”

Thank you for your attention.