President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Minister of Social Development and Assistance, Family, and the Fight against Hunger, Wellington Dias, took part in the pre-launch of the Task Force for the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, held at the headquarters of Ação da Cidadania, in Rio de Janeiro. The foundational documents for the creation of the Alliance were approved by acclamation during the event, marking a decisive step for the initiative.
In a powerful speech, President Lula stressed the historic importance of this moment: «Participating in this ministerial meeting of the Task Force, which lays the foundations for the Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, is one of the most important moments of the 18 months of my third term.» The Brazilian president emphasized the urgency of putting hunger and poverty at the heart of the international agenda. «Nothing is as absurd and unacceptable as the persistence of hunger and poverty when we have so much abundance at our disposal, so many scientific and technological resources, and the artificial intelligence revolution,» stated the Brazilian president.
Lula also criticized the inequality exacerbated by globalization. «Never have so many had so little and so few concentrated so much wealth. Hunger is the most degrading of human deprivations. It is an attack on life, an assault on freedom,» he denounced.
Brazilian Minister Wellington Dias highlighted the current challenges and signs of hope in the fight against hunger: «Even with the end of the pandemic, the world as a whole is failing to get back on track in the fight against hunger and poverty. Projections sadly indicate that, if current trends continue, 582 million people will still be chronically malnourished in 2030.»
Dias pointed to the progress made in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the role of Brasil. «The country, which had left the ‘Hunger Map’ in 2014, faced it again in 2021 due to a major political setback. However, with the resumption of effective public policies in 2023, we managed to reduce severe food insecurity from 8% to 1.2% of the Brazilian population.» The information is shown in FAO’s SOFI report, launched for the first time in a Latin American country.
The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty will coordinate international actions and partnerships to implement effective programs to fight hunger and poverty worldwide. The initiative unites the two traditional tracks of Sherpas and Finance in the same direction.
According to President Lula, «The Global Alliance was born out of this political will and spirit of solidarity. It will be one of the main results of Brasil’s G20 presidency. Its goal is to give renewed impetus to existing initiatives by aligning efforts at domestic and international level.»
Dias stressed the importance of international cooperation. «We have all the financial resources and knowledge we need in the world, but we must build the political will, mobilize these resources consistently where they are in abundance, and channel them to those who need them most.»
The Way Ahead
The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty is expected to be officially launched in November 2024, during the G20 Leaders’ Summit, also in Rio de Janeiro. The initiative seeks to raise resources and knowledge to implement effective public policies and social technologies to reduce hunger and poverty globally. It is open to all interested countries, not only to G20 members.
Lula ended with a message of hope: «As long as there are families without food on the table, children on the streets, and young people without hope, there will be no peace. A just world is a world in which people have unimpeded access to food, health, housing, education, and decent jobs. These conditions are essential to building prosperous, free, democratic and sovereign societies.»
Original Article: https://www.g20.org/en/news/fighting-inequality-at-the-heart-of-the-international-agenda-president-lula-calls-on-the-world-to-take-part-in-the-global-alliance-against-hunger-and-poverty. Cover photo: Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/PR
