Sunday 22 Dec
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, participated in a high-level event attended by Brazilian President Lula da Silva and leaders of international financial institutions. The event marked the launch of the Global Alliance to Fight Hunger and Poverty, an initiative spearheaded by Brazil during its G20 presidency.
Initially announced at the
previous G20 summit in India, the alliance aims to mobilize international
cooperation and coordinate efforts among G20 nations and global institutions to
achieve the first two sustainable development goals: eradicating poverty and
hunger.
In her comment on the alliance’s
announcement, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat emphasized that establishing a global
alliance to combat poverty and hunger would bolster countries' capacities to
implement sustainable policies for the most vulnerable populations. This is
especially crucial given the numerous challenges hindering many nations from
achieving food security and providing social safety nets for their citizens,
which in turn obstructs progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
She pointed out that the world
has faced serious challenges since the beginning of the Corona pandemic and the
Russian-Ukrainian war, and the geopolitical tensions that cast their shadow on
various countries around the world, in addition to supply chain crises and
rising prices. She added that the partnership between the G20 group and major
international institutions and opening membership to various countries to join
the Global Alliance to Combat Hunger and Poverty, places great hopes on the
alliance to overcome the global crises that threaten food security and enable
countries, through funding, knowledge, and technology, to implement sustainable
policies to achieve development goals.
She noted that activating the
Alliance's goals contributes to mobilizing financial resources for countries
facing financial constraints and an inability to provide the necessary funding
for food security and social protection programs.
The World Bank Group partnered
with the G20 and the Alliance to reach at least 500 million food-insecure and
low-income individuals. The aim is to empower marginalized groups to increase
their incomes, enhance resilience in the face of climate change and empower
women and girls. Through the International Development Association (IDA), the
Bank will provide highly concessional financing and grants to countries for
policies combating hunger and poverty.
The Global Alliance includes
members of the G20, such as the African Union and European Union, as well as
other countries and international organizations like the Islamic Development
Bank, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the World Trade
Organization, UNESCO, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the
International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, and
the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Alliance aims to mobilize funds and expertise to implement policies and promote technologies that reduce global hunger and poverty. This is essential given the growing global challenges that are exacerbating hunger and poverty, particularly the decline in funding. The Alliance is scheduled for official launch at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November.
