Rome Declaration on
World Food Security
We,
the Heads of State and Government,1 or our
representatives, gathered at the World Food Summit at the invitation of the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, reaffirm the right of
everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with the right
to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger.
We
pledge our political will and our common and national commitment to achieving
food security for all and to an ongoing effort to eradicate hunger in all
countries, with an immediate view to reducing the number of undernourished
people to half their present level no later than 2015.
We
consider it intolerable that more than 800 million people throughout the
world, and particularly in developing countries, do not have enough food to meet
their basic nutritional needs. This situation is unacceptable. Food supplies
have increased substantially, but constraints on access to food and continuing
inadequacy of household and national incomes to purchase food, instability of
supply and demand, as well as natural and man-made disasters, prevent basic food
needs from being fulfilled. The problems of hunger and food insecurity have
global dimensions and are likely to persist, and even increase dramatically in
some regions, unless urgent, determined and concerted action is taken, given the
anticipated increase in the world's population and the stress on natural
resources.
We
reaffirm that a peaceful, stable and enabling political, social and economic
environment is the essential foundation which will enable States to give
adequate priority to food security and poverty eradication. Democracy, promotion
and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right
to development, and the full and equal participation of men and women are
essential for achieving sustainable food security for all.
Poverty
is a major cause of food insecurity and sustainable progress in poverty
eradication is critical to improve access to food. Conflict, terrorism,
corruption and environmental degradation also contribute significantly to food
insecurity. Increased food production, including staple food, must be undertaken.
This should happen within the framework of sustainable management of natural
resources, elimination of unsustainable patterns of consumption and production,
particularly in industrialized countries, and early stabilization of the world
population. We acknowledge the fundamental contribution to food security by
women, particularly in rural areas of developing countries, and the need to
ensure equality between men and women. Revitalization of rural areas must also
be a priority to enhance social stability and help redress the excessive rate of
rural-urban migration confronting many countries.
We
emphasize the urgency of taking action now to fulfil our responsibility to
achieve food security for present and future generations. Attaining food
security is a complex task for which the primary responsibility rests with
individual governments. They have to develop an enabling environment and have
policies that ensure peace, as well as social, political and economic stability
and equity and gender equality. We express our deep concern over the persistence
of hunger which, on such a scale, constitutes a threat both to national
societies and, through a variety of ways, to the stability of the international
community itself. Within the global framework, governments should also cooperate
actively with one another and with United Nations organizations, financial
institutions, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and public
and private sectors, on programmes directed toward the achievement of food
security for all.
Food
should not be used as an instrument for political and economic pressure. We
reaffirm the importance of international cooperation and solidarity as well as
the necessity of refraining from unilateral measures not in accordance with the
international law and the Charter of the United Nations and that endanger food
security.
We
recognize the need to adopt policies conducive to investment in human resource
development, research and infrastructure for achieving food security. We must
encourage generation of employment and incomes, and promote equitable access to
productive and financial resources. We agree that trade is a key element in
achieving food security. We agree to pursue food trade and overall trade
policies that will encourage our producers and consumers to utilize available
resources in an economically sound and sustainable manner. We recognize the
importance for food security of sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and
rural development in low as well as high potential areas. We acknowledge the
fundamental role of farmers, fishers, foresters, indigenous people and their
communities, and all other people involved in the food sector, and of their
organizations, supported by effective research and extension, in attaining food
security. Our sustainable development policies will promote full participation
and empowerment of people, especially women, an equitable distribution of income,
access to health care and education, and opportunities for youth. Particular
attention should be given to those who cannot produce or procure enough food for
an adequate diet, including those affected by war, civil strife, natural
disaster or climate related ecological changes. We are conscious of the need for
urgent action to combat pests, drought, and natural resource degradation
including desertification, overfishing and erosion of biological diversity.
We are
determined to make efforts to mobilize, and optimize the allocation and
utilization of, technical and financial resources from all sources, including
external debt relief for developing countries, to reinforce national actions to
implement sustainable food security policies.
Convinced
that the multifaceted character of food security necessitates concerted national
action, and effective international efforts to supplement and reinforce national
action, we make the following commitments:
we
will ensure an enabling political, social, and economic environment designed to
create the best conditions for the eradication of poverty and for durable peace,
based on full and equal participation of women and men, which is most conducive
to achieving sustainable food security for all;
we
will implement policies aimed at eradicating poverty and inequality and
improving physical and economic access by all, at all times, to sufficient,
nutritionally adequate and safe food and its effective utilization;
we
will pursue participatory and sustainable food, agriculture, fisheries, forestry
and rural development policies and practices in high and low potential areas,
which are essential to adequate and reliable food supplies at the household,
national, regional and global levels, and combat pests, drought and
desertification, considering the multifunctional character of agriculture;
we
will strive to ensure that food, agricultural trade and overall trade policies
are conducive to fostering food security for all through a fair and
market-oriented world trade system;
we
will endeavour to prevent and be prepared for natural disasters and man-made
emergencies and to meet transitory and emergency food requirements in ways that
encourage recovery, rehabilitation, development and a capacity to satisfy future
needs;
we
will promote optimal allocation and use of public and private investments to
foster human resources, sustainable food, agriculture, fisheries and forestry
systems, and rural development, in high and low potential areas;
we
will implement, monitor, and follow-up this Plan of Action at all levels in
cooperation with the international community.
We
pledge our actions and support to implement the World Food Summit Plan of
Action.
Rome, 13 November 1996
Notes
1When
"Government" is used, it means as well the European Community within
its areas of competence.
