Bangui

Office of the Central African Republic Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition: normative framework and action plan

FAO, in collaboration with other United Nations agencies and the Network of Parliamentary Alliances for Food Security and Nutrition in Central Africa, organized a day of awareness-raising on food security and nutrition issues for parliamentarians in the Central African Republic. During the event, organized in accordance with the Declaration of Brazzaville, a national parliamentary alliance for food security and nutrition was created. 

As guarantors of political and economic commitments, parliamentarians have a central role to play in a region where more than 44.6 million people suffer from undernourishment and 9.4 million children under the age of 5 years old are stunted. From 2012-2019, data shows that in the Central African Republic, the percentage of the population suffering from global acute global malnutrition (GAM) decreased from 7.8% to 5.8%, while the percentage of the population that was underweight decreased from 24.3% to 21.3 %. However, during the same period, chronic malnutrition increased from 39.9% to 42.3%. In addition, in 2018, more than 1,799,000 people were affected by moderate food insecurity and at least 320,000 by severe food insecurity.

Though the Central African Republic suffers from internal conflicts, food insecurity and nutrition problems in the country predate these conflicts, and are even seen in non-conflict zones.

In light of this situation, and in accordance with the commitments made in 2018 in Madrid and in 2019 in Brazzaville, parliamentarians in their role of legislators aim to effectively reverse these trends in food and nutrition insecurity. At the end of the Brazzaville Parliamentary Forum for Central Africa in November 2019, the Network of Central African Parliamentary Alliances on Food and Nutrition Security (RAPAC-SAN), supported by FAO, began to implement the recommendations from the Forum, including awareness-raising initiatives and the establishment of parliamentary alliances in countries which belong to the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

Thus, on March 12, 2020, the awareness-raising day for parliamentarians of the Central African Republic for food and nutritional security was organized and the office of the Central African Republic’s Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (APRCA-SAN) was born.

A series of meetings were held in preparation for the awareness-raising day and the establishment of a normative framework. The FAO Representative in the Central African Republic, Ms. Perpétua Katépa-Kalala, met with the Secretary-General of RAPAC-SAN, the Honorable Yves Fernand Manfoumbi, on the progress of the mission. Later, the FAO Representative, speaking before the President of the National Assembly of the Central African Republic and members of RAPAC-SAN, reiterated the commitment of the entire United Nations system in the Central African Republic to work alongside parliamentarians in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. During this meeting, the agenda for the event was also established.

The Honorable Yves Fernand Manfoumbi addressed heads of agencies during the monthly meeting of the UN Country Team, where he made a strong case for repositioning food security and nutritional as an expenditure under national sovereignty, asking not only for greater synergies with the entire United Nations system but also for stronger involvement with and support to the country’s parliamentarians in their efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. 

Finally, the Secretary-General of RAPAC-SAN held a working session on the normative framework, which was devoted exclusively to the draft statutes, internal regulations and action plan of the Central African Republic Parliamentary Alliance.

The awareness-raising day for parliamentarians was sponsored by the President of the National Assembly, the Right Honorable Laurent Ngon Baba. In her speech on the occasion, FAO Representative Perpétua Katépa-Kalala stressed that the engagement of parliamentarians in the fight against hunger and malnutrition is essential, and urged the honorable representatives of the central African nation to show increased interest in eliminating hunger and malnutrition by 2030 and in making this goal a national cause.

In his opening speech, the President of the National Assembly of the Central African Republic thanked FAO, UNICEF and the World Food Programme for holding this workshop, in accordance with the recommendations of the last forum in Brazzaville, during which parliaments of each country in the ECCAS zone were encouraged to create national alliances, in view of their membership in the regional parliamentary network established in Brazzaville in November 2019.

The day provided an opportunity to provide capacity building for parliamentarians on the following themes:

· The situation of food security and nutrition at the global level and in the sub-region, as well as the multi-sectoral nature of nutrition

· The food security and nutrition situation in CAR, and control strategies

· The process of setting up parliamentary food and nutrition security alliances in Central Africa

At the end of the workshop, the Central African Republic Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (APRCA-SAN) was born, a normative framework put in place, and a 2020 action plan developed by the Alliance laid out for the rest of the year. 

In his closing speech, the President of the National Assembly of the Central African Republic reiterated his thanks to  FAO and the rest of tge United Nations system for the committment they have shown to the country's parliamentarians, not only in educating them on global and national issues of food security and nutrition, but especially in highlighting the difference parliamentarians can make in this area. He also thanked his fellow parliamentarians for their enthusiastic participation in the workshop, and assured all gathered that APRCA-SAN will work closely with the government and all partners to contribute to the challenge of reaching "Zero Hunger" by 2030.