Minister of Development, Social Assistance, Family, and Hunger Alleviation, Wellington Dias, advocated for united efforts and knowledge sharing to combat poverty and hunger worldwide. These statements were made on Saturday (December 7) during the panel “Uniting for Change: A Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty” at the 2024 Doha Forum in Qatar. The event focused on the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, an initiative that seeks to address the root causes of these problems through coordinated global action.
“The world has failed in the fight against hunger,” lamented Wellington Dias. “The idea of the Global Alliance is to organize effective public policies to combat hunger and apply them worldwide, share these experiences and help in their implementation, and also ensure that richer countries can help those most in need. We want to ensure that the knowledge that exists in the world is shared to help,” he explained, recalling that more than 80 countries have joined this initiative.
He then highlighted that the public policies implemented in Brazil have had an effect, with an 85% reduction in severe food insecurity in 2023. Poverty also fell to the lowest level in the country’s historical series thanks to the integration of economic and social aspects. “The fight against poverty must be part of the development plan and be aligned with the economic development of each nation. This gives solidity to the results,” he observed.
The Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Carl Skau, praised the Global Alliance in the face of overlapping crises, wars, and the effects of climate change, which have deepened hunger worldwide. “This Brazilian initiative has helped a lot to draw the world’s attention to this challenge. At WFP, we are working on the operational issue to help with this,” he said. “We need to advance in strategies and ways to combat hunger. We are learning a lot from Brazil and this international network that we have will help the world a lot,” he added.
For the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia, climate change represents an additional challenge in the fight against hunger. “We have had floods in Colombian communities and this has greatly affected our people. In Colombia, many people depend on the forest and people are losing the forest,” he explained. “Brazil has given a lesson in how to feed the world. We have to participate in the Alliance to advance in this fight against hunger and we have to participate in the experience of other countries and take what is interesting for us,” he added.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali, Abdoulaye Diop, lamented the effects of war and lack of water in the fight against food insecurity. “We have civil wars in Mali and these conflicts affect and create many problems in the regions near the rivers. Mali has good and fertile land but, due to wars, we have difficulty producing food. A hungry person has no peace and a person without peace generates violence. This is not only for our country but for our neighbors as well. We need to cut investment in military security to invest in food security,” he said.
The Global Alliance
Launched during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro on November 18, the Alliance aims to eradicate hunger and poverty, reduce inequalities, and contribute to revitalized global partnerships for sustainable development. The initiative, which was a priority of the Brazilian presidency of the G20, has the support of more than 80 countries and 60 institutions, including governments, international organizations, and civil society, and aims to implement strategies to promote food security, economic empowerment, and social equity.
Doha Forum 2024
The minister was on an official agenda in Qatar this weekend to participate in the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum. Also participating in the agenda is the International Director of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) Marlos Lima. The foundation is one of the founding members of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. “Brazil has a lot to contribute to the world with its experience in combating hunger and poverty. The FGV is actively committed to opening up new spaces and opportunities for the success of this important Brazilian initiative and generating real and lasting impacts at the global level,” said the director.
With the theme “The Innovation Imperative”, the event highlights the importance of innovation as a central element to address global challenges, including security, climate change, the economy, and the world order itself.
Established in 2000, the Doha Forum is a global dialogue platform that brings together political leaders, policymakers, private sector representatives, civil society organizations, and NGOs. Under the motto “Diplomacy, Dialogue, Diversity,” the event promotes the exchange of ideas and practices aimed at formulating innovative policies and action-oriented solutions.
