FAO participated to the 138^th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) which took place in Geneva, from 24 to 28 March 2018. This 138^th Session had a rich and comprehensive agenda, covering key issues such as strengthening the parliamentary contribution to the global compact for migration, sustaining peace as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development, tackling women’s underrepresentation in politics, engaging the private sector in the development of renewable energy, and building sustainable and resilient societies.

FAO has established a strong collaboration with parliamentarians including with the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean, the European Union's Parliamentary Alliance “Fight against Hunger”, the Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food and Nutrition Security, and other initiatives worldwide. FAO is confident that with Parliamentarians’ support we have a better chance of achieving meaningful results towards a future of food and nutrition security for all. This is why FAO has been intensifying its collaboration with parliamentarians and going forward, is working closely with IPU and the Sun Movement, WHO and UNICEF to produce a Handbook for Parliamentarians on Food Security and Nutrition.

In this regard, Ms Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Director of FAO Geneva briefed the IPU Advisory Group on Health on this handbook initiative which aims at informing parliamentarians about the complex and broad effects of nutrition in national context, discussing problems of malnutrition that exist in all countries and how they cut across socio-economic classes. “It is our hope that this concrete tool will help you to accelerate the progress towards zero hunger, malnutrition and the sustainable development goals”, she said.

Ms Birkett also addressed the 138^th Assembly of the IPU during the general debate on “Strengthening the Global Regime for Migrants and Refugees: the need for evidence-based policy solutions”. FAO Geneva Director stressed that “for FAO, migration should be a matter of option, not a necessity” and recalled the adverse drivers of migration namely conflict, violence, human rights violations and discrimination but also food insecurity, poverty, lack of employment opportunities, lack of access to social protection and negative impacts of environmental degradation and climate change. Ms Birkett emphasized that “sustainable agricultural and rural development, as well as climate change adaptation and resilient livelihoods must be part of the global response”, as many migrants leave rural areas as they see no other viable option for moving out of poverty within their own communities.