The COVID-19 pandemic has shocked the world and impacted every aspect of life, food security is no exception. In light of this issue, FAO and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) have joined force to support and engage parliamentarians through a series of virtual dialogues.

Today, the “Virtual Parliamentary Global Dialogue on Food Security and Nutrition in the time of COVID-19” is taking place with the participation of FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, AECID Director Antón Leis García and many country representatives including Viet Nam. One of the opening remarks is going to be delivered by Nguyen Tuong Van, Secretary General of the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

During this global event, the outcomes of previous dialogues will be shared and discussed. Furthermore, the session will foster political dialogue among parliamentarians from different countries across the world. It is crucial to have such discussions since parliamentarians can act as change-makers who contribute profoundly to the joint effort of addressing and mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on food security during both the containment and recovery phases - taking care of employment and local economies, ensuring economic inclusion and the right to food for all. 

The outcomes of this virtual global dialogue will contribute to the overall objectives of the initiative by FAO and AECID:

• Encourage political dialogue between parliamentarians and their networks on key food security and nutrition challenges which have arisen during COVID-19

• Support concrete national parliamentary initiatives on the Right to Food in the context of COVID-19

• Enable mutual learning and knowledge sharing among parliamentarians through the dissemination of good practices and lessons learned to address and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on food security

• Enhance parliamentary actions to address the impacts of COVID-19 on food systems

• Strengthen parliamentarians’ capabilities to promote adequate legal frameworks which safeguard food security and nutrition during the COVID-19 emergency.