[mukto-mona] FW: UN Hunger Summit: Urgent Practical Steps Needed --Asia Post editorial dated 19th November

“We would not say the summit achieved concrete in immediate term.But the summit  has highlighted the problem.The two-track proposal is a practical one, that is   direct action for the most vulnerable and sustainable 'medium and long-term programmes to eliminate the root causes of hunger and poverty.' We ask all the countries to take action to tackle the food security situation on an urgent basis.There should also be a proper population policy to establish a proper equation  between population and resources including availability of food.” (Please see the full editorial below )

 

 

 

 

 

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UN Hunger Summit:  Urgent Practical Steps Needed
 

International agencies have reported from Rome that the UN Hunger Summit on Monday vowed 'urgent action' to combat food shortages but drew fire for failing to pledge new funds or set a timetable to beat the scourge affecting more than one billion people.  As Pope Benedict XVI slammed the 'greed' of grain speculators, participants in the summit in Rome declared hunger was 'an unacceptable blight on the lives, livelihoods and dignity of one-sixth of the world's population.' Their joint final declaration - which was rolled out on the first day of the three-day summit - also outlined five 'principles' including 'direct action' to help the most vulnerable.  But no new financial commitments were contained in the document, which calls on wealthy nations to honour pledges of 20 billion dollars (13.3 billion euros) in aid over the next three years made at a Group of Eight summit in July.  The final declaration also omitted any mention of a UN 2025 deadline for the eradication of world hunger, prompting an angry response from campaigners.
      Some 60 heads of state and government are attending the World Summit on Food Security at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation's Rome headquarters, but leaders of the world's wealthiest countries are conspicuous by their absence. The summit delegates said they 'commit to substantially increase' the percentage of development aid spent on agriculture and food security. They vowed a 'twin-track approach' to food security comprising direct action for the most vulnerable and sustainable 'medium and long-term programmes to eliminate the root causes of hunger and poverty.'

   The UN chief added that the issues of climate change and food security are interlinked. 'There can be no food security without climate security.'  Pope Benedict XVI, for his part, lamented 'greed which causes speculation to rear its head even in the marketing of cereals, as if food were to be treated just like any other commodity.'
   

We would not say the summit achieved concrete in immediate term.But the summit  has highlighted the problem.The two-track proposal is a practical one, that is   direct action for the most vulnerable and sustainable 'medium and long-term programmes to eliminate the root causes of hunger and poverty.' We ask all the countries to take action to tackle the food security situation on an urgent basis.There should also be a proper population policy to establish a proper equation  between population and resources including availability of food.

 

 

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