During the XXV Meeting of Mexican Ambassadors and Counselors held on 6-10 January 2014, Mrs. Rosario Robles Berlanga, Mexico’s Social Development Secretary (SEDESOL), announced that this year Mexico will be hosting the VII Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America (MFD) organized annually by the UNDP Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean with the support of the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID). The aim of the MFD is to provide ministers and decision-makers a space to discuss social policy experiences and identify answers to the new challenges of the region.

Similarly, Mrs. Berlanga communicated that Mexico will be the host country of the VIII Meeting of the Working Group of the Hunger-Free Latin America and Caribbean Initiative (HFLACI) 2025 of the FAO. The Initiative was set up by the UN Organization in 2009 with the strategic vision of eradicating hunger from the region whilst articulating a framework for coordinated FAO action at global, regional and national level. One of the main pillars of the Initiative is the conception of food insecurity issues and hunger beyond a nutritional or socio-economic problem, centered on human dignity and within a human rights-based approach. The right to food is therefore at the center of the Initiative.

Mexico, by hosting such important events, is making important steps towards providing a leadership in the region in the eradication of poverty and on issues related to social policy.

Mexico just recently increased its commitment in the implementation of social policy programmes. To this end, it has been working closely with FAO, UNESCO and UNDP in order to strengthen the action of the Hunger-Free Nacional Crusade, a national strategy for inclusion and social welfare which seeks to ensure food security and nutrition of 7.01 millions of Mexican now living in extreme poverty, and contribute to the full exercise of the right to food. The Strategy builds on the principles of coordination among the various agencies of the Federal Public Administration and a partnership with the Civil Society and the Private Sector. This strategy has a long-term outlook with short-, medium-, and long-term goals, which allow to assess progress, identify opportunities, and adopt adequate accountability and transparency mechanisms.

Important achievements in Mexico’s commitment towards the realization of the right to food, have been recently seen in the State of Guerrero where many indigenous groups and communities live. During a visit to Cochoapa el Grande, SEDESOL announced that, until today, 500 community kitchens have been serving 60,000 rights holders.

For more information, please read SEDESOL’s press release here.