The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean attended the Opening Ceremony of the 42nd Meeting of the FAO Committee on Food Security – “Making a Difference in Food Security and Nutrition”, held in Rome on 12 October 2015. The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is an intergovernmental body serving as a forum in the United Nations System for review and follow-up of policies concerning world food security including production and physical and economic access to food.
The presence of PAM Secretary General, Amb. Sergio Piazzi, at the event underscored the Assembly’s priority to foster cooperation at the regional level in order to guarantee to the peoples of the Mediterranean region an adequate access to food supply.
PAM tackles Food Security-related issues through the activities and a number of dedicated initiatives of its Panel on Trade and Investments in the Mediterranean and the Academic Platform. Through a number of multi-disciplinary groups, parliamentarians, representatives of the economic and financial sector, and research centres, gather around the same table, in order to address common challenges by proposing concrete actions to support trade and investments, including for Food Security, a critical element of political stability and social peace in the Mediterranean region and sub-Saharan Africa.
PAM fully shares the framework of the CFS aimed at giving a voice to all stakeholders in the world food system; being inclusive and encouraging an exchange of views and experiences; building on empirical evidence and scientific analysis and monitoring the effectiveness of actions towards reducing hunger.
PAM, which also attended the UN Summit on Sustainable Development in New You on 26-28 September 2015, will continue to focus the 2016 activities of its 2nd Standing Committee on the most urgent issues related to Sustainable Development and Climate Change, through further dialogue between parliamentarians and all the major stakeholders including civil society. Furthermore, as agreed in New York with Under Secretary General of UN-DESA Mr. Wu Hongbo, PAM parliamentary initiatives will now incorporate the 20-30 strategic objectives in their programmes.