A mission to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, was conducted by FAO from 7 to 11 November 2016 upon the request of the national authorities to explore the opportunity of supporting the integration of the right to adequate food in the Constitution of Burkina Faso, currently under review.

After some high-level meetings, in particular with the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Constitutional Commission and the respective Secretaries-General of the Ministries responsible for food security and nutrition, the members of the delegation held various meetings with groups from the different relevant ministerial departments, with members of the Economic Development, Environment and Climate Change Commission of the National Assembly and with the relevant civil society organizations in order to obtain their opinions and recommendations on a roadmap for the constitutionalization of the right to food. The delegation had the opportunity to advocate for this right at the plenary session of the National Assembly on 10 November 2016.

As recalled by the President of the National Assembly, His Excellency Dr. Salifou Diallo, besides ensuring the compliance of the country with its international commitments, the consecration of the right to food in the constitution is a process that should be accompanied by a legislative structure to make this right effective, hence the importance of the support expected from FAO. The constitutionalization of the right to food is also expected to influence national policies and programs, including budget allocations and development assistance programs for the people most vulnerable to hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. For the President of the Constitutional Commission, Maitre Alidou Ouédraogo, there is a need for awareness and capacity building for a greater ownership of the concept and its implications at the level of the members of the constitutional commission belonging to different socio-professional groups.

The FAO Representative for Burkina Faso, Mr. Aristide Ongone Obame, congratulated the Government on this voluntary approach and reiterated FAO willingness to continue its support to the process, notably through the provision of a pool of experts and all the tools and mechanisms available to the organization, to realize the right to food in the country.

In addition, a draft roadmap was developed in collaboration with the various stakeholders. The roadmap foresees, among other things, the development by FAO of a supporting document that will elucidate the concept of the right to food and its implications, the reinforcement of capacity building for key advocacy actors on the right to food and support for in-depth analysis of the legislative and institutional environments for food security and nutrition.

The mission was funded by the two regional projects GCP/RAF/476/ GER and GCP/RAF/477/GER, implemented with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

FAO supports its member countries in the process of constitutionalizing the right to food and its implementation through capacity building programs. On the African continent, FAO is also working with the Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition to promote this right and share experiences among parliamentarians in the region on food security and nutrition.