Has the G-20 failed the 1 billion people suffering from hunger worldwide?
Despite the launch of an initiative focused on food security innovations and U.N. food agencies welcoming G-20’s recognition of the importance of small-holder agriculture, several nongovernmental organizations said heads of state have failed to secure food for the hungry.
The G-20 “turned in last year’s homework,” Neil Watkins, ActionAid USA director of policy and campaigns, said in a June 19 press release. The group reaffirmed old plans when the world needs bold proposals, Watkins added. Adam Taylor, World Vision vice president of advocacy, agreed, saying leaders recycled previous commitments.
The G-20 expressed “support” for a number of food security issues in its final declaration, including for the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement. But InterAction’s Director of International Advocacy John Ruthrauff said there were no “concrete steps, action plans, or benchmarks for completion.”
ONE CEO Michael Elliott could not agree more. He said the group has “consistently promised a lot, but delivered very little.”
Leaders have “failed to keep the world’s poorest in their sights,” Oxfam representative Carlos Zarco said. “Political courage seems to be in short supply in Los Cabos,” Elliott added.
The two-day summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, ended Tuesday (June 19).
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.