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Thanks you Stefanos for the nice introduction.

Excellences, colleagues, warm welcome to this Special Side Event in contribution to the HLPF.

My name is Gabriel Ferrero y de Loma – Osorio, Spain’s Ambassador at Large for Global Food Security, the Chairperson of the Committee on World Food Security – the CFS.

For those of you who are not familiar with the CFS, the Committee is the intergovernmental platform of the United Nations in FAO, for food security and nutrition governance.

Today, 133 Members of the UN are joined by civil society, private sector, research and academia, UN agencies and programmes, international financial institutions, foundations and others, to deliberate upon and coordinate global policies to address systemic and structural causes of hunger and malnutrition in support of the efforts led by countries.

CFS is unique for being the most inclusive, science-backed intergovernmental body in the UN on food, bringing the voices of those most affected to the forefront of multilateral deliberations. I am delighted that we are joined today by the Civil Society and Private Sector Mechanisms for CFS. I thank you very much indeed for your engagement.

I also warmly welcome the collaboration with the FSS Coordination Hub and our country co-hosts:  the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Nigeria, Portugal, and the Kingdom of Spain -- to whom we are very appreciative.

While the Coordination Hub coordinates UN System support to countries for their National Pathways, the CFS brings together all stakeholders and national governments, to deliberate and agree on global policy guidance to realize the human right to adequate food, in social, economic and environmentally-sustainable ways.

Stefanos, the event today is an excellent example of ways we are supporting each’s mandate- to make progress for people and the planet.

Colleagues,

In these challenging times for food security and nutrition, with such a distressing food crisis, it is more urgent than ever to maintain our vigilance and our direction: only sustainable, inclusive, and equitable food systems will deliver resilience to cope with multi-dimensional shocks such as the ones we are witnessing these days. Responding to the current food crisis implies accelerating food systems transformation, not postponing or delaying.

All countries agreed in May, as reflected by the General Assembly Resolution on the State of Food Insecurity, [and I quote] “to keeping a strong focus on the sustainable transformation of the global agrifood system, aiming for a global system that can deliver sufficient, safe, affordable, nutritious food and healthy diets for all people and provide employment and income, particularly in rural areas, while at the same time fully respecting planetary boundaries”.

While often agriculture and food systems are as part of the problem for their impact in natural resources and climate change, they are an indispensable part of the solution to sustainable development.

Land, soils, landscapes and territories, food and diets are natural "integrators" of sustainable development. On the table of a family farmer, often a woman, often small-scale, all the SDGs come together.

Sustainable agriculture and food systems are the most powerful accelerator to deliver poverty eradication, shared prosperity and to preserve our ecosystems and planet.

Achieving the SDGs requires the integration of our policies and investments, public and private, ministries and institutions, and global and national levels.  The VGFSN, adopted by CFS in February 2021, after years of hard work and difficult negotiation, encapsulates these issues holistically, and provides one of the most valuable multilateral tools to shape the global food system transformation.

Today, we will exchange our experiences, progress and challenges on our national pathways. We are delighted to have so many friends and colleagues joining us from countries around the world, to share their experiences.

Without further ado, before giving back the floor to Stefanos, I warmly welcome our distinguished panel: Starting with the warmest welcome to H.E. Pilar Cancela Rodríguez, Secretary of State for International Cooperation– Kingdom of Spain, who will deliver keynote framing remarks.

She will be followed by H.E. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform –  Islamic Republic of Pakistan; (from remote) H.E. Jeanine Cooper, Minister of Agriculture – Republic of Liberia; H.E. Anders Grönvall, State Secretary to the Minister for Climate and the Environment – Sweden (from remote) H.E. Dr. Abubakar Omer Albushra, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry – Republic of Sudan; Finally, by H.E. Fabio Cassese,  Director General International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs –  Italy.

Back to you Stefanos, and thank you once again for your cooperation.