A World free from Hunger is Possible in our Lifetimes

A World free from Hunger is Possible in our Lifetimes - Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello

Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello TD today vowed that Ireland will play a strong role in creating a world free from hunger and under-nutrition within our lifetime.

Minister Costello was chairing a major meeting in Brussels of the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states (ACP) at which he set out the EU’s new plans to help improve global nutrition, negotiated under Ireland’s Presidency of the EU. The Minister said:

“I am delighted that the new EU Nutrition Policy and the new EU Food and Nutrition Security Implementation Plan has been endorsed. The adoption of these decisions by the EU sends a signal to the international community that we are serious about improving food and nutrition security and setting a framework for the EU and Member States to implement policy commitments in these critical areas”.

In his speech to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly Minister Costello addressed under-nutrition and food insecurity, which have been key themes of the Irish Presidency:

“Ireland has long been a champion of greater investment in measures to eradicate hunger and under-nutrition. We have prioritised these areas during our Presidency this year, including at our major conference in April which focused on the interlinked challenges of hunger, nutrition and climate change.

“One third of the participants at the conference were farmers and herders from the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions, who explained their experience of coping with these challenges.

“The clear lessons we learned were that local people must be listened to, and their solutions must feed into the policy debate;  that policy must be linked to the reality on the ground;  and that we must invest more effectively in knowledge, education and science. These findings must influence any discussions on nutrition and food insecurity.

“These are important lessons as we work together to prepare for new development goals ‘post 2015’. We must aim to end extreme poverty and hunger in a generation, and to protect our environment.  The goals, which will guide our efforts after 2015, need to be global, with a clear commitment to implementation at national level. We must ensure that people are at the heart of our deliberations.  

“Ireland stands ready to play our part. We will prioritise our resources of people, skills and money to achieve results, working with all our partners to realise our shared vision of a world free from hunger and under-nutrition within our lifetime.”

Press Office

19 June 2013

For further information contact Fionnuala Quinlan, Press Office, Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 01-408 2653 or 087-909 9975

Notes to the editor

• Irish Aid is the Government’s programme of overseas assistance. It is managed by the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  Further information is available at www.irishaid.ie.  
• The Joint Parliamentary Assembly is one of the joint institutions set up under the 2000 Cotonou Agreement. The other institutions provided for are the Council of Ministers and the Committee of Ambassadors. It is the only international assembly in which the representatives of various countries sit together regularly with the aim of promoting the interdependence of North and South.
• The Joint Parliamentary Assembly was created out of a common desire to bring together the elected representatives of the European Community - the Members of the European Parliament - and the elected representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states ("ACP countries"). The representatives of the 79 ACP states  meet their 79 European Parliament counterparts in plenary session for one week twice a year – alternately in an ACP country and in the EU, traditionally in the EU country hosting the Presidency.
• A substantial part of the work of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly is directed towards promoting human rights and democracy and the common values of humanity, and this has produced joint commitments undertaken within the framework of the UN conferences.
• Minister Costello is substituting for the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton, at the morning session of the Assembly when there will be time allotted for a two hour question and answer session. 
• The formal session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly was preceded by a workshop organised by the Presidency which took place on Sunday, at which Ireland co-hosted a private sector themed workshop along with the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.