New York,  27 June 2012

This morning the Secretary-General chaired a meeting of the High Level Task Force on Global Food Security.

The Secretary-General welcomes the strong outcome from Rio+20 on food and nutrition security.  Following the launch of the Zero Hunger Challenge last week, the High Level Task Force will be reoriented to focus on the Challenge’s five objectives as a guide for a coherent UN system approach to food and nutrition security.

The Secretary-General noted that since it was established in 2008, the Task Force had made progress in devising a common comprehensive framework for action for the UN system in food and nutrition security, particularly during recent food crises.  It helped forge united positions among its member agencies in Rio and at the G8 and G20 summits.  The High Level Task Force also supports the Committee on World Food Security as the primary governance body for food and nutrition.

But with close to 1 billion people still experiencing chronic hunger, he urged agencies, governments, businesses, civil society organizations and the scientific community to eliminate hunger in our lifetimes.

Yours Sincerely,

NGO Relations, DPI
United Nations
www.un.org/dpi/ngosection