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| WORLD SUMMIT ON FOOD SECURITY OPENS MONDAY IN ROME |
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 the Lao People's Democratic Republic, 13 Nov 2009 -- VICE PRESIDENT OF THE LAO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, HE MS. PANY YATHORTU, HEADS LAO DELEGATION
FAO LAUNCHES “HUNGER STRIKE AGAINST HUNGER” TO SHOW SOLIDARITY FOR THE HUNGRY
Vientiane - The World Summit on Food Security starts on Monday 16 November in Rome. FAO has convened the Summit in a bid to organize political will behind increased investment in agriculture and a reinvigorated international effort to combat hunger.
On the eve of next week’s Summit, FAO has called for a day-long, worldwide hunger strike against chronic hunger. “We are suggesting that everyone in the world who wants to show solidarity with the one hungry billion people on this planet go on hunger strike next Saturday or Sunday,” FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf told a press conference. “I shall personally begin a 24-hour fast on Saturday morning,” he added.
The World Summit on Food Security, 16-18 November 2009, has been called to agree on immediate action to reverse the situation of the 1.02 billion people living in chronic hunger.
Heads of State and Government from FAO’s 192 Members have been invited to attend and Diouf told the press conference that he hoped there would be as many participants as at the last FAO Summit in 2002. “Despite all the promises made, concrete action on hunger has been lacking,” Diouf declared.
Mr. Serge Verniau, FAO Representative to Lao PDR, will join the day-long fast on Monday, the opening day of the Summit, and hopes that as many people as possible in Lao PDR will join him in this gesture of solidarity with the hungry of the world and especially those suffering from hunger and chronic malnutrition in Lao PDR. “We can not forget that the number of chronically malnourished children in Lao PDR has remained at 40% for the past ten years, despite significant economic growth”, Mr. Verniau pointed out.
The Lao delegation to the Summit is headed by the Vice-President of the National Assembly HE Ms. Pany Yathortu who will deliver a statement to the plenary meeting of the Summit. The delegation also includes HE Dr. Ty Phommasack, Vice-Minster of Agriculture.
Participating countries will adopt a Summit Declaration on the first day of the Summit.
Ahead of the Summit FAO also launched an online campaign, www.1billionhungry.org, calling on the general public to sign a call for eradicating hunger.
In a parallel event, the City of Rome is hosting with the support of the three Rome-based UN food agencies a Civil Society Forum 14-16 November 2009 to give non-governmental organizations their own platform to contribute to the Summit. More information is available on the Forum website http://peoplesforum2009.foodsovereignty.org/
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