Check against delivery

I thank the Federal Government of Germany and our host ministers for inviting me to join the Global Alliance Steering Commitee and to join you here today, in my capacity as the Chairperson of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS).

Ministers,

The global initiatives that have been launched over the past months including the G7 GAFS under your leadership are commendable. They are mobilizing bold political leadership needed to overcome this crisis.

Uniting together for food security is the right rallying call.

It is not just time to act, it is time to act together, urgently and ensure that our efforts converge.

The world´s most vulnerable don’t have the luxury of time for duplication or lack of coordination, on key policy areas of action, and financial support to countries and communities most in need. Nor has the future generations, on the transformation of food systems, to secure their human right to adequate food.

What is the CFS’ contribution?

The CFS is the intergovernmental body within the United Nations that includes not just governments, but civil society, the private sector, the whole of the UN and Bretton Woods institutions, researchers, foundations, and other stakeholders, with the very clear mission given by Member States of coordinating and fostering policy convergence on food security and nutrition.

As part of our support to ongoing global efforts to address the crisis, CFS together with the President of the General Assembly, supported by – and in support of – the UN Secretary-General´s Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy, and Finance, will jointly convene a high-level Special Event at a ministerial level, on July 18 in New York, to foster coordinated global policy responses to this crisis.

The meeting, entitled “Time to Act Together: Coordinating Policy Responses to the Global Food Crisis,” will aim to:

• One, contribute to convergence and alignment of the initiatives being proposed, enhancing the GCRG´s efforts and its leading role;
• Two, advance the consensus on the options for policy responses, at the global level and in support of country-led and context-adapted responses.
• Three, keeping the long-term vision of the 2030 Agenda as our compass and sustainable food systems transformation as our roadmap.

This event will benefit from the leadership of many of you here today, you will be receiving the invitations as we speak though your missions in NY and Rome.

I hope you join the PGA, the SG and the CFS on this joint effort.   

Thank you.