UNGA adopts resolutions on agriculture, food security, and nutrition, rural poverty, and others
New York - The UN General Assembly (UNGA) considered this month the report of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial), that reviewed 43 Resolutions, with 15 going to a vote (two of which were supported by FAO).
FAO has remained actively engaged in the work of the Second Committee in the lead up to today’s adoption of resolutions. At the outset of the Committee’s deliberations in October, FAO presented to the Second Committee several Secretary-General reports.
The first report and its accompanying resolution on agriculture development, food security and nutrition, provides an overview of the critical challenges in enabling transformations towards more sustainable and resilient agrifood systems, especially in the face of conflict, climate change, economic volatility and uncertainty, and the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On rural poverty eradication, the report and resolution points to how the majority of the rural poor depend on agrifood systems and natural resources for their livelihoods, making them more exposed to the overexploitation of natural resources and climate change. The Resolution notes that the share of rural poor in the total population living in poverty has increased and further notes the impact of food price increases for the poor population.
As for combatting sand and dust storms, the report and resolution discussed how sand and dust storms affect the health, agriculture, environment, transport, and energy sectors, an issue that is of transboundary nature and of growing concern.
FAO – through the Mountain Partnership Secretariat hosted in FAO – also prepared the Report of the Secretary General on sustainable mountain development. The corresponding resolution highlights the unique ways in which mountain ecosystems and the livelihoods of mountain communities are increasingly affected by biodiversity loss, climate change, and land degradation.
Earlier this month, the UNGA also adopted two resolutions, to which FAO contributed inputs, aimed at agreeing on a collective vision of priorities for the global humanitarian system. These were the resolution on strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations and the resolution on international cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development.
It shall be noted that earlier this year during the remainder of the Plenary Session of UNGA76 (March/April 2022), FAO and WHO co-led the drafting of the SG report on the Implementation of the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025). FAO also supported negotiations leading to the adoption of resolutions on the International Year of Rangeland and Pastoralism (2026) and the International Day of Plant Health, both originating from the 42nd Session of the FAO Conference.
Related links
Visit the dedicated website of the UNGA Second Committee and access all other resolutions here.
Stay informed on the latest FAO work on food systems.
Revisit FAO’s new rural poverty analysis tool.