Media Notification: Hunger - Nutrition - Climate Justice Conference

Hunger – Nutrition – Climate Justice Conference

A New Dialogue: Putting People at the Heart of Global Development.

April 15 & 16, Dublin Castle

The Government and the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice will host a major international conference this April to highlight the links between climate change, hunger and poor nutrition.

“Hunger – Nutrition – Climate Justice” takes place in Dublin Castle on April 15 & 16 and will bring together global leaders, policy-makers and scientists with representatives of communities who are striving to produce food sustainably in the regions which are most affected by climate change.

Up to 100 representatives of farmers’ organisations and vulnerable communities from areas including Africa, Asia and the Arctic will attend the conference to explain the impact that unpredictable weather patterns are having on their lives and to outline the solutions which they are pioneering.

Among the global leaders and policy-makers who will contribute to the conference and listen to communities facing the reality of rising food prices, failed crops and under-nutrition are:

• President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins
• Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore TD
• President of Malawi Joyce Banda
• Mary Robinson, President of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice
• Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
• Frank Rijsberman, Chief Executive Officer of the CGIAR Consortium
• Former Vice President of the United States of America Al Gore

The conference, which is being held under Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union, takes place as the international community reviews progress on the Millennium Development Goals. It is designed to ensure that those who are most vulnerable to hunger, nutrition and climate change are at the centre of our efforts to address these challenges.

“Hunger – Nutrition – Climate Justice” is being organised in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). It is supported by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF).

ENDS

March 26, 2013

For more information, please visit: http://www.eu2013.ie/events/event-items/hncj/ or http://irishaid.ie/what-we-do/dublin-conference/.

Attendance at the conference is invitation-only, but the event will be webcast on www.eu2013.ie, with the conversation continuing via Twitter (#HNCJ).

Media Accreditation

 Journalists who wish to attend the Hunger – Nutrition – Climate Justice conference must be accredited in advance. Media are encouraged to accredit as early as possible to facilitate registration and security clearance. For more details regarding accreditation and to check your accreditation status, please check out http://www.eu2013.ie/press-centre/accreditation/.   

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Contacts:

For the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, please contact Fionnuala Quinlan, Press Adviser, Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on or 01-4082653 or 087-9099975.

Irish Aid is the Government’s programme of overseas assistance. It is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

For media queries relating to Mary Robinson, contact Celine Clarke, Head of Administration and Communications, Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice (www.mrfcj.org): +353 (0)1 661 8427 /

For World Food Programme queries, contact Greg Barrow, Head of London Liaison Office: + 44 796 8008 474 / Twitter @wfp_media. WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.

For media queries relating to the CEO of the CGIAR, Frank Rijsberman, contact JesÚs Corder-Salvado; on +447900 890458.

CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by the 15 research centers who are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. www.cgiar.org