Joint Press Release

WEBSITE FOR THE HIGH LEVEL MEETING FOR AFRICA ON ENDING HUNGER LAUNCHED

Addis Ababa, 17 June 2013- From 30th June to 1st July, African and international leaders as well as other key stakeholders in the food security sector will meet at the African Union headquarters with a focus on renewing partnership for a unified approach to end hunger in Africa.

The High Level Meeting on Renewed Partnership for a Unified Approach to End Hunger in Africa is jointly convened by the African Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Lula Institute. The meeting will commit to a set of principles, policies and strategies to resolve the problem of hunger by 2025, which will feed into the national and regional Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Programme (CAADP) Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans.

The meeting will also brainstorm ways to support African countries, their governments and organized civil society to incorporate successful experiences from other countries.

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Lula Institute will deliver the keynote address on Ending Hunger through a Unified Approach, in which he will share the Brazilian experience.

The major outcomes of the meeting will be:
• A declaration expressing political commitment to promote and unify African and international efforts: to fight hunger; to share technology; to boost the resilience of rural communities; to build or rebuild rural livelihoods; and assure food security for urban populations.
• Identification of immediate joint action to be taken in a specific place in Africa, to showcase the potential of this coordinated initiative.

In order to support the summit, the African Union Commission and NEPAD, as well as the FAO and Lula institute have launched a joint website at: http://pages.au.int/endhunger. The website offers experiences from Africa and other regions and provides a one-stop shop for all issues regarding the meeting.
MEDIA CONTACTS:

African Union Commission
Mrs Wynne Musabayana
Deputy Head of Communication and Information
Tel: +251115182555
MusabayanaW@africa-union.org

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Mehdi Drissi
Chief: Media Relations Branch
Office for Communication, Partnerships and Advocacy (OCP)
FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153
Roma, Italia
Tel: +39 06 570 56479
Cell: +39 346 988 3190