Food crisis continues to dominate UNGA debate
25/9/2008 17:24
The food crisis remained a key topic as world leaders addressed the second
day of the general debate during the 63rd session of the United Nations General
Assembly.
Pointing out the link between climate change and the food crisis,
Polish President Lech Kaczynski highlighted the impact of high food prices on
the most vulnerable members of the society.
"While analyzing reasons behind
the food crisis and trying to find effective recipes for combating poverty and
hunger, we have taken notice of an immense impact of the aggravating climate
change upon these phenomena," he said.
"Although consequences of the climate
change will be felt globally, it is the poorest who will bear the brunt."
He
called for solidarity, responsibility and enhanced mutual cooperation among
countries to fulfill their commitments as regards cutting greenhouse gas
emissions and adapting to climate change.
Poland is scheduled to host the
14th session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the 4th session of Parties to the Kyoto
Protocol.
Mongolian Prime Minister Sanjaa Bayar, for his part, said in the
face of a global food crisis amid steep increase in staple food prices, millions
of vulnerable people in poor countries who were barely making their ends meet
face even greater challenges.
"It is a tragic setback that more than 75
million additional people have been driven into hunger and poverty because of
the food crisis," Bayar said.
Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez spoke
of pessimism and hopelessness.
"Millions of people who used to be able to
cover their basic needs have seen the face of poverty once again," Sanchez said,
"Hunger, that abominable monster that we had escaped for so many years, has
returned to chase away the dreams of humanity."
Chilean President Michelle
Bachelet Jeria urged the world community to work together to support the
emergency measures to deal with the food crisis.
Suriname President Runaldo
Ronald Venetiaan also called for global cooperation to tackle problems such as
climate change and rising prices of food and energy.
"These tribulations are
intertwined and universal, and thus beyond the control of any single nation.
Millions of vulnerable people are, therefore, looking forwards the international
community - with the United Nations at the helm - for effective measures to
bring some kind of relief," he said.
"If we do not find lasting solutions
now, the costs of our inaction will be unacceptably high and the threats that we
will most likely pass on to the next generation will be devastating," Venetiaan
warned.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa also underlined the urgency
for the world to address the crisis.
"The global food crisis has become a
frightening actuality and has the potential to assume even more dangerous
proportions if we fail to take urgent and collective action," Rajapaksa
said.
Xinhua
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