On Tuesday, 5 June 2012, UNDP’s Africa Human Development Report 2012: Towards a Food Secure Future was launched at the ACP House in Brussels. The event, chaired by Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Secretary-General, ACP Secretariat, was attended by some 100 people, including representatives from the diplomatic corps, civil society and the media.
In his introductory remarks, Mr. Antonio Vigilante, Director of UN/UNDP Brussels, stated that the paradox of poverty decreasing a lot faster than hunger calls for “not only an action but a kind of revolution; revolution in the mind, revolution in technological terms, in investment priorities, in public policies, in research and in the necessary support to food security strategies in the countries that are mostly affected by this”.
The report was presented by Ms. Priya Gajraj, Team Leader, Country Support Team for West & Central Africa, UNDP, who stressed that “Africa is not fated to starve provided that there is a decisive move to put in place the appropriate policies and mechanisms to address food security and accelerate human development on the continent”.
Her presentation was followed by a panel discussion with Ms. Francesca Mosca, Director Africa, DG DEVCO, European Commission; Mr. Cheikh Niang, Officer-in-Charge, African Union, Brussels; Dr. Michael Hailu, Director, CTA/ACP; and Ms. Eloise Todd, Director, ONE Campaign – Brussels.
We invited Ms. Gajraj to give us an overview of the report for our website. In a short video, available in English and French, she talks about the importance and purpose of the report, and summarises its key recommendations in relation to the improvement of agricultural productivity, advancement of nutrition outcomes, enhancement of the resilience of families, communities and countries, and the empowerment of the rural sector and women.
