Bujumbura, Burundi. 26 June 2024.

An FAO delegation visited Burundi to raise awareness on the role and opportunities for parliamentarians to tackle food security, malnutrition and poverty issues by transforming agrifood systems. The delegation was led by Athman Mravili, Coordinator of FAO’s Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa; Jean Leonard Touadi, Special Coordinator for Parliamentary Networks at FAO Headquarters; and Aissa Mamadoultaibou, Nutrition Officer in the Sub-Regional Office for Central Africa.

The delegation was received by the Right Honourable Emmanuel Sinzohagera, Speaker of the Senate, and the Right Honourable Gélase Ndabirabe, Speaker of National Assembly. Mr Mravili and Mr Touadi encouraged the Speakers of the two chambers of the Burundian Parliament to express the interest of their institutions to create a Parliamentary Alliance for Food and Nutrition Security to catalyze parliamentary action on the topic. Such alliances in the region and across the world have provided parliamentarians with flexible, inclusive and non-partisan platforms to place food security at the top of the agenda, through policy dialogue, capacity development, awareness raising, and advocacy activities. 

Mr Mravili stressed the crucial role of parliamentarians in framing and supporting the implementation of adequate legislative frameworks, through their lawmaking, oversight, budgetary and oversight functions. He underlined FAO’s unwavering technical support during the initiation, adaptation or strengthening of Burundi's legislative arsenal in favour of food and nutrition security.

FAO’s collaboration with parliamentarians in ECCAS countries

As recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/77/159, the active involvement of parliaments is essential to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Parliamentarians' ability to draft laws, allocate resources, hold governments accountable and enforce compliance is a crucial element in realizing global commitments.

In 2019, parliamentarians from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) gathered in Brazzaville, Congo, to launch the Network of Central African Parliamentary Alliances on Food Security and Nutrition (RAPAC-SAN), in collaboration with the ECCAS Commission, FAO, the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, RAPAC-SAN has facilitated the involvement of parliamentarians from the region in policy, capacity development and advocacy activities. The Central Africa region also has national parliamentary alliances for food security and nutrition in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe.