Bread for the World President Rev. David Beckmann issued the following statement today regarding the upcoming U.N. High Level Meeting for Food Security for All, to be held in Madrid, January 26-27. Rev. Beckmann was one of only three civil society leaders to address the 2008 summit in Rome. This year’s summit aims to offer continuity to the United Nations Global Action Plan, and to design a road map that will guarantee the fulfillment of the objectives and commitments made during the last summit.
“The drastic food and fuel price hikes that occurred in 2008 have pushed more than 130 million people into hunger, with women and children often the hardest hit. The recent financial crisis is further compounding the problems poor and hungry people around the world face. At a time when most of Congress’ attention is focused on shoring up domestic financial markets, we cannot ignore the humanitarian crisis that countries around the globe are facing. Sustained commitments are needed to meet the pressing needs of developing countries.
“So far, the international community has pledged at least $18 billion in assistance to address the food crisis, but only a small percentage of this money has actually been disbursed. Much greater transparency is needed to allow monitoring of financial flows to address the hunger crisis, and to ensure that commitments are being fulfilled. Governments must live up to their commitments made at the Rome Conference and in other venues to ensure that there are adequate resources available to address the hunger crisis.
“President Obama faces many challenges as he enters office. Fighting the hunger crisis must be a priority issue. This will require him to put in place the structure and funding needed for the U.S. to show global leadership by reworking the way it handles foreign aid.
“Since the Rome Summit last year, food and fuel prices have come down, but are still higher than two years ago. The global financial crisis makes it more difficult for developing countries to access credit to meet their import bills. Developed countries and the multilateral financial institutions must step in to prevent further increases in hunger and poverty that could put at risk the progress that has been made toward achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
“The G8’s proposal for a global partnership on food and agriculture is a good idea. This partnership needs to include voices from outside of governments, especially civil society. It should build on existing structures, such as the International Alliance Against Hunger that was founded by the relevant U.N. agencies in 2003. The only way that we will achieve the first Millennium Development Goal of cutting hunger in half by 2015, especially now, is by government working together with civil society and the private sector.
“As the food, fuel and financial crises so vividly demonstrate, the world is interconnected in very profound and complex ways. The need for coordination at the global level is more urgent than ever before, and with climate change occurring more rapidly than previously anticipated, that urgency is unlikely to diminish.”
Bread for the World (www.bread.org) is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.
Source: prnewswire.com
