Originally posted on sciy.org by Ron Anastasia on Wed 31 Jan 2007 02:05 PM PST
Chennai Declaration: UN urged to help achieve hunger-free world
By Rafiqul Islam Azad from Chennai
Wed, 31 Jan 2007, 09:31:00
The United Nations (UN) has been recommended to set up a Statutory Body
comprising G8 and G20 nations to provide political oversight to the
global and national efforts to achieve the goal of a hunger-free world
by 2015.
The recommendation was made in the Chennai Declaration that was adopted
yesterday on the concluding day of the three-day international workshop
on "Food Security: A Great Threat to Human Security" held at the MS
Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSRRF) in Chennai in India.
"The goal should be eradication of hunger by 2015, and not halving the
proportion or the number of the hungry in relation to any chosen base
year," the declaration recommended.
It said all the member states of the UN should make the right to a
balance diet, clean drinking water, environmental sanitation, primary
health care and primary education a basic human right.
The declaration said, the world and its constituent countries should to
move as quickly as possible to legislate the right to food into their
constitutions.
It also emphasised the need for the formulation of a global coalition
immediately for a hunger free world to achieve the millennium goal of
eradication of hunger by 2015.
The Chennai Declaration titled "Towards a Hunger-Free World" called
upon the industrialised countries to launch a special "making Hunger
History Drive" to enable developing countries like India and Bangladesh
to improve small farm productivity.
"There will be lasting peace and security for all, if the basic minimum
needs of every human being can be met," the declaration observed
adding, "There was no technological, economic, social or political
excuse for not doing so."
Around 100 experts, researchers, scientists, academicians,
agriculturists, lawyers, journalists, government officials from across
the globe including Bangladesh and representatives from donor agencies
and NGOs took part in the workshop.
Chaired by Prof Dr MS Swaminathan, the concluding session was also
addressed, among others, by Prof George Frerks, Dr Eric Ferguson, Prof
Venkatesh Athreya, Prof Dr Karl Harsen and Dr Rama S Singh.
Referring to the commitments taken in the Doha Round of WTO
negotiations, it said if the commitments are fulfilled trade can become
a strong ally in the movement for a world without hunger.
The Chennai Declaration said the annual global requirement of food
grains to ensure that 820 million children, women and men do not go to
bed hungry will be about 200 million metric tones which is only 10 per
cent of the current global food grain production.
Emphasising the need for conserving agro-biodiversity and linking
conservation, cultivation, consumption and commerce in the form of
local level food and nutrition security systems, the declaration said
these would help strengthen both food and livelihood security.
The declaration recommended the World Food Programme (WFP) to open a
third window for achieving the goal of freedom from hunger through a
Universal Food Guarantee Programme giving priority for pregnant and
nursing mothers, infants and children and old and in farm persons.
The earlier session on "Five major Determining Factors of Sustainable
Food Security-Ecology, Economics, Equity, Ethics and Employment" was
held with Dr Jaun Pablo Pardo Guerra, ISYP, UK in the chair.
Among others, the session was addressed, among others, by Dr S
Rajalakshmi of MSSRF, Dr Adam Breasley and Frida Mishra from Australia,
Rafiqul Islam Azad and Rezaul Karim from Bangladesh and Kallol Ghosh
from Kolkata.
The programme will be completed today (Thursday) through visiting Biovillage and Auroville, a MSSRF project in Pondicherry.
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