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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Secretary-General Calls for Global Commitment to Ensure Food Security

13 November 1996

Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku today called on the global community to commit itself to ridding the world of hunger and malnourishment. "Global food security requires long-term planning and commitment by the global community," Chief Anyaoku said at the opening session of the World Food Summit in Rome, Italy. "It requires that we globally address the demographic and environmental factors which impinge on its realisation. Above all, it requires acceptance that our common humanity obliges all our nations to be truly concerned for the world's 800 million malnourished men, women and children."

Chief Anyaoku cited various factors that were to blame for food insecurity, including the lack of a global political commitment, a failure to take into account the special role and needs of women, and a failure to involve poor and hungry people in the design and implementation of development programmes meant to assist them.

"We in the Commonwealth of 53 sovereign states firmly believe that poverty is a root cause of food insecurity," Chief Anyaoku said. "We also believe that in order to overcome poverty, we need peaceful conditions, together with social, political and economic stability."

Chief Anyaoku made special mention of the Commonwealth's activities to promote food security, which focus largely on gender considerations. "Women are over-represented among the poor and malnourished, even in those countries where they play a central role in the food cycle," he said. "In many such countries, although women dominate the production, harvesting, storage, marketing, processing and preparation of food, they usually have little control over related financial and other resources."

To help correct this situation, Chief Anyaoku said, the Commonwealth Secretariat has published a handbook entitled Incorporating Gender in Food Security Policies, with a particular focus on Commonwealth Africa. The handbook provides guidelines on accommodating gender concerns in food policies, addresses the constraints that limit women's ability to provide their households with food, and focuses on the changing roles of men and women in food production.

"In focusing on gender, the handbook is a practical instrument of technical assistance, developed in association with the Commonwealth Plan of Action on Gender and Development," Chief Anyaoku said.

Concluding his speech, the Secretary-General put the issue starkly: "The challenge of achieving sustainable global food security within the next 15 to 20 years is a challenge to governments and non-governmental organisations alike."

He added, "Food for All is achievable; let this great gathering provide the vision and the political will to make it a reality."

Issued by the Information and Public Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House,
Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX,
United Kingdom.
Tel: 0207-839 3411;
Fax: 0207-839 9081;
Telex: 27678

96/58 13 November 1996

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ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6385/6 Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
Email: info@commonwealth.int