The meeting kicks off tomorrow Friday 1st to Saturday 2nd March at the Pan-African Parliament in Midrand, ahead of Committee Sittings

MIDRAND, South Africa, February 28, 2019/ --

Forty members of the Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (PAPA-FSN) are meeting here for an intensive twoday capacity building workshop. The meeting kicks off tomorrow Friday 1^st to Saturday 2^nd March at the Pan-African Parliament in Midrand, ahead of Committee Sittings.

The two day session aims to strengthen and consolidate capacities of parliamentarians to position food security and nutrition, as well as the right to adequate food, at the forefront of political and legislative agendas at both regional and national levels. 

“The session is urgent, crucial and will pave way for efficient delivery of a model law that will ultimately be made to remedy the crisis” says Hon. Stephen Julius MASELE, The PAP 1^st VicePresident and President of the Alliance.  The Alliance was formed in October 2016 as a response to the call to find innovative ways of managing the mounting food security challenge. 

“Approximately one person in four in Sub-Saharan Africa and one in five on the continent have suffered from chronic food deprivation in 2017. The overall situation of food security and nutrition (FSN) in Africa continues to worsen. We are consequently obliged to reflect and review policies and legislation with the aim to achieve zero hunger,” Hon. Masele says. 

FAO Representative in South Africa, Francesco Pierri, underlined the importance of the meeting saying it was critical in setting the foundation to meet targets set under the global development agenda. 

“If we are to meet the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals and achieve zero hunger by 2030, cooperation among different actors is mandatory. With their legislative, budgetary and oversight roles, together with their unequalled influence on public opinion, parliamentarians have a fundamental role in ensuring that people are able to feed themselves in dignity,” says Pierri. “FAO is pleased to join hands with the PAP in this endeavour and stands ready to share its knowledge and expertise to support the actions of PAPA-FSN and national parliaments,” Mr. Pierri to add.   The two day training, facilitated by both PAP and FAO,  puts emphasis on themes that include; legislating for the right to adequate food; nutrition and sustainable food systems for healthy diets; gender and social policies; access to and control of productive resources; responsible investments in agriculture and food systems; budgeting to achieve zero hunger and partnering for resource mobilization. It will also provide an opportunity to discuss the way forward towards the adoption of a regional model law on food security and nutrition.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).