EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION: FOOD SECURITY
G20 Rio: a crucial turning point for global hunger
the rising tide of hunger and poverty seen in many regions of the world. It is imperative that they seize this moment. There are grounds for cautious optimism. Brazil has placed this critical issue at the heart of its G20 presidency and is showing real global leadership. One of its flagship initiatives is a new Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, intended to galvanise international action and reinvigorate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In a world that produces enough food to feed everyone on the planet, hunger and malnutrition belong in the past. Yet, despite our collective commitment, we have fallen far behind on our journey to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. Chronic food insecurity remains at unacceptable levels, fuelled by the growing number of devastating conflicts, more frequent climate disasters and widespread economic turmoil. Today, it blights the lives of up to 757 million people. A RACE AGAINST TIME With just six years remaining to meet the SDGs, more countries are on track to miss the 2030 global hunger and nutrition targets than to achieve them. Moreover, this is happening just as it is getting increasingly difficult for humanitarians to carry out lifesaving work. It is harder to negotiate access to reach people in need. It is more difficult to plan and predict future needs or foresee where new crises will emerge. It is more dangerous than ever for humanitarians to operate. And it is tougher to raise the resources we need to provide lifesaving help to the millions who rely on us. But the World Food Programme and our partners are not giving up. Far from it. I attended the meeting of G20 development ministers in Rio in July and I was encouraged by the commitment and resolve of the government leaders I met there. Increased innovation, ambitious partnerships and investment in long-term solutions are all essential to get us back on track to meeting the SDGs – and they lie at the heart of Brazil’s Global Alliance. At WFP, we have proven and scalable solutions to hunger that bolster resilience among food-insecure communities and help reduce humanitarian needs over time. Last year, we implemented anticipatory action and early warning programmes
As famine strikes Darfur, G20 members have a pivotal opportunity to address the escalating hunger crisis and reaffirm their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals
Cindy McCain, executive director, World Food Programme
CINDY M C CAIN Cindy Hensley McCain became the World Food Programme’s executive director in April 2023. A distinguished humanitarian, business leader and diplomat, she brings a wealth of expertise to the role. Prior to joining WFP, she served as United States ambassador to the United Nations agencies in Rome, and is the former chair of the board of trustees of Arizona State University’s McCain Institute for International Leadership. She has also served on the board of directors of Project C.U.R.E, CARE, Operation Smile and the Halo Trust, and was chair of her family’s business, Hensley Beverage Company. T his year’s G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in November unfolds under the dark shadow of the famine declared just three months earlier in Sudan’s Darfur region, sparked by the country’s vicious civil war. It is unacceptable that famine is happening in 2024. Yet, tragically, others could follow. Millions of people – in Gaza, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria and other countries – live under the constant threat of starvation as they struggle to survive each day. The G20 summit is an urgent opportunity for the world’s richest countries to act decisively to pull these people back from the brink and reverse
@wfpchief : wfp.org
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G20 BRAZIL: THE RIO SUMMIT — 2024
globalgovernanceproject.org
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