Food security crucial to global peace and development
VOV.VN - Vietnam views food security as the foundation of peace, stability, and development, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN stated at an open debate on conflict and food security held on May 19 by the UN Security Council (UNSC) in New York.
During the debate, the Vietnamese diplomat outlined the Vietnamese position of sharing the international community's common concerns about increasing challenges facing the global food system, with these caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and natural disasters.
These factors seriously affect the food security of countries, especially developing countries and countries enduring conflicts, he said.
In addition to humanitarian efforts, sustainable measures are required in order to to strengthen the capacity of developing and conflict-affected countries to secure food supplies, as well as improve the living standards for people. This is along with promoting the settlement of root causes of conflicts, peace building, and conflict prevention, Ambassador Giang stressed.
He went on to applaud the efforts made by the UN, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and international donors in responding to hunger. In line with this, he suggested that the UN and its partners promptly share information on food insecurity caused or aggravated by conflicts, thereby implementing timely responses to solve such situations.
Ambassador Giang also underscored the responsibility of parties involved in conflicts for respecting international humanitarian law, as well as not using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, as stated in Resolutions 2417 and 2573 of the UNSC.
Regarding Vietnamese efforts in ensuring food security, Ambassador Giang said the nation aspires to become a regional “food innovation hub” and continue to contribute to joint efforts in terms of addressing global food security challenges.
Participants used the platform to express their deep concern about the unprecedented increase in food insecurity today, with more than 811 million people suffering from food shortages globally.
As a result of this, the international community urgently needs to bolster coordination deal with food shortages and related challenges, they said.