The concept was announced by Lula at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, aiming to provide sustained political momentum and foster collective action to combat hunger and poverty while reversing setbacks in achieving Sustainable Development Goals 1 (no poverty: end poverty in all its forms everywhere) and 2 (zero hunger: end hunger, achieve food security and impovedimproved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture). 

“In the middle of the twenty-first century, nothing is as absurd and unacceptable as the persistence of hunger and poverty when we have so much abundance, so many scientific and technological resources, and the artificial intelligence revolution at our disposal,” President Lula said during the ceremony, tears in his eyes. He emphasized that hunger “is the most degrading of human deprivations; it’s an assault on life, an assault on freedom,” asserting that it stems primarily from political choices, as the world today produces more than enough food to eradicate hunger.

The document endorsed by the members of the Ministerial Task Force, which included G20 countries and other partners, recognizes that the world has experienced significant setbacks in achieving SDGs 1 and 2, among others, due to challenges intensified by climate change, biodiversity loss, the COVID-19 pandemic, economic slowdowns and downturns, supply chain disruptions, conflicts, and other facets of the multidimensional global crisis. “We note with alarm the first increase in extreme poverty and inequality in more than two decades,” the members stated.

“We reaffirm that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. We affirm that everyone should have access to safe, nutritious, affordable, and sufficient food and healthy diets, consistent with the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security,” they continued.

To tackle this challenge, the Alliance will raise resources and knowledge for the implementation of public policies and social technologies that have proven effective in reducing hunger and poverty around the world.

At the core of the Alliance is a “basket” of policy-driven actions at the country level, with interventions supported through a combination of finance, capacity strengthening, and knowledge-sharing instruments.

The criteria for this policy basket are:

1. Well-defined policy instruments, with a clear scope
2. Implementable or implemented by governments
3. Evidence-based
4. Primarily targeting individuals experiencing poverty and hunger
5. Primarily contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2. The basket shall include policy instruments that meet at least one out of the eight sub criteria including a.2) ‘contribute to the realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security in order to achieve a world free from hunger (SDG targets 2.1 and 2.3)’.

Adherence to the Global Alliance is open not only to G20 members but also to all interested countries. The official launch of the Alliance will take place at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November 2024.