6 May 2013: A briefing to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) addressed the position of food security and nutrition in the post-2015 development agenda, and the work of the newly-reformed Committee on World Food Security (CFS).

The briefing, held on 6 May 2013, in New York, US, was organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the NGO Working Group on Food and Hunger.

Nestor Osorio, ECOSOC President, addressed the results of the High-Level Consultation on Hunger, Food Security and Nutrition that took place in Madrid, Spain, in April 2013, noting that these topics and the eradication of hunger should be central to the post-2015 agenda, and this requires action at all levels. He also emphasized the need for a strengthened relationship between the CFS and ECOSOC, specifically in the context of the global development agenda.

Yaya Olaniran, CFS Chair, emphasized the need to build a “global strategic framework on food security and nutrition” of voluntary guidelines, incorporating a rights-based approach and appropriate accountability mechanisms.

The other panelists and the open discussion focused on the inclusion of food security issues in the post-2015 development agenda, and inclusion of civil society actors in CFS’ work. Zachary Bleicher, IFAD, praised the coordinated policy action of the CFS and its contributions to bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to discuss food security issues. Tatiana Dwyer, NGO Working Group on Food and Hunger, emphasized a need to expand on the civil society inclusion mechanism and to foster better relationships between the CFS in Rome and the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. [IISD RS Sources] [Hunger, Food Security and Nutrition Consultation Website] [IISD RS Coverage of High-level Consultation on HFSN]