Monaco takes part in the 51st plenary session of the Committee on World Food Security

Monaco participe à Rome à la 51ème session du Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale ©DR

From 23 to 27 October in Rome, Monaco contributed to the work of the 51st plenary session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), which brought together 126 Member States and nearly 1,500 participants this year and saw the election of South Africa's Permanent Representative to the FAO as head of the Committee.

The SOFI 2023 report, presented at the start of the session, estimates that an average of 735 million people (or 9.2% of the world's population) have suffered from hunger in 2022, which is well above pre-pandemic levels. While moderate to severe food insecurity has remained stable worldwide, the goal of 'Zero Hunger' by 2030 now seems out of reach, with projections estimating that 600 million people will still be chronically malnourished by then. Despite the economic recovery, the combined effects of climate change, global crises and increased conflict are hampering efforts to end famine and combat the growing inequalities that are particularly affecting women and people living in rural areas.

Voluntary guidelines were also introduced during this session to provide practical strategic guidance to member countries and development partners in advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls in regard to food security and nutrition. The successful conclusion of this meeting, which is being actively monitored and financially supported by the Principality, was praised by H.E. Mrs Anne Eastwood, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the FAO, who, during her speech, emphasised the crucial role of women and girls in agrifood systems and the need for them to be fully involved in realising the 2030 Agenda, and went on to reaffirm Monaco's commitment to women's rights at a national level and as part of its international cooperation policy.

The 51st plenary session concluded with the acceptance of general recommendations on strengthening the collection and use of data to enhance decision-making, the approval of the 2024-2027 Multi-Annual Work Programme, and discussions on the impact of price volatility on food security and the importance of enhanced social protection.

As a reminder, the Principality devotes a third of its official development assistance each year to combating malnutrition through programmes that specifically focus on strengthening family farming and sustainable supply chains.