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UNESCO reaffirms commitment to the Alliance Against Hunger at a G20 Meeting in Rio
UNESCO participated in the pre-launch of the , which is intended to coordinate international actions and partnerships to implement effective programs to combat hunger and poverty worldwide.
Held in Rio de Janeiro in July, the meeting marked a decisive step in the G20 Brazilian presidency, with the approval of a document establishing this Global Alliance proposed by Brazil. The official launch will happen during the November G20 Leaders' Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Marlova Jovchelovitch Noleto, Director and Representative of UNESCO in Brazil, highlighted the importance of implementing this Alliance and the central role of education in reducing inequalities to create a fairer, more equitable, and sustainable future for all.
Establishing the Global Alliance is both timely and essential, offering a tremendous opportunity to accelerate and better align our collective efforts at national and international levels. This Global Alliance will provide crucial information and support for effective policies and programmes to combat hunger and poverty. UNESCO stands ready to support the Alliance's work and has endorsed the policy instrument of the National School Meals Programme proposed by the School Meals Coalition, reaffirming our role as a reliable partner.
In his speech, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasized the urgency of placing hunger and poverty at the center of the international agenda.
In the 21st century, nothing is as absurd and unacceptable as the persistence of hunger and poverty when we have so much abundance, scientific and technological resources, and the revolution of artificial intelligence at our disposal. No theme is more current and challenging for humanity. Hunger is the most degrading of human deprivations. It is a threat to life, an aggression against freedom.
During the meeting held at the headquarters of , member countries and international organizations approved the Alliance's creation documents by acclamation. The Minister of Social Development and Assistance, Family, and Fight Against Hunger, Wellington Dias, highlighted current challenges and signs of hope in the fight against hunger.
Even after the end of the pandemic, the world is struggling to get back on track in combating hunger and poverty. Unfortunately, today’s projections indicate that if trends continue, 582 million people will still be chronically undernourished by 2030.
Parallel to the G20 meeting, five specialized UN agencies released (SOFI) report. The annual report warns that the world is severely failing to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2) – Zero hunger – by 2030. Since 2019, the number of people experiencing hunger has increased by more than 152 million globally. Last year, 29% of the world’s population, about 2.3 billion people, faced moderate or severe food insecurity. In Brazil, there has been a decrease in these numbers, but this global challenge remains.
In this context, UNESCO reaffirms the urgency and importance of collective efforts to address global challenges of hunger and poverty and is committed to supporting the Brazilian presidency in achieving the established priorities.
Combating inequality
The G20 Development Group Ministerial Meeting preceded the Hunger Task Force meeting. It addressed issues related to tackling inequalities, promoting essential services such as access to water and sanitation, and trilateral cooperation in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Fabio Eon, Coordinator of Human, Social, and Natural Sciences, participated in the G20 Development Group’s first ministerial meeting on the central theme of water and sanitation for development, held on July 22.
Access to clean water and adequate sanitation remains a significant challenge for global development. In this context, UNESCO reaffirms the importance of international cooperation through the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP). These initiatives, along with over 70 UNESCO Chairs and 20 water-related centres, have the potential to support G20 members in meeting the established targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) – Clean water and sanitation.
During this meeting, ministers also approved the , a significant milestone in the G20 countries’ commitment to addressing global inequalities and promoting sustainable development for all. The Declaration highlights the importance of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs, mainly focusing on SDG 10, which aims to reduce inequalities in all forms and dimensions.
