Hanoi (VNA) - Minister Counsellor Nguyen Hai Luu, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, has called for stronger international cooperation to address food insecurity caused by conflicts.
Addressing a high-level open debate of the UN Security Council (UNSC) themed "Food Under Fire: The Security Council's Role in Mitigating Global and Local Food Crises” in New York on August 25-26, Luu highlighted the increasingly evident link between conflict and hunger, noting that conflict is a leading cause of food insecurity, while food insecurity can in turn fuel conflict.
Drawing on Vietnam’s experience of overcoming war and poverty to become a peaceful country and a food exporter, he reaffirmed Vietnam’s full commitment to Resolution 2417 and put forward three groups of recommendations.
He said a comprehensive approach is needed to address the root causes of conflict, including food insecurity, while strengthening early-warning and prevention mechanisms under Resolution 2417 and using the UN system to identify and tackle risks to food systems early.
Parties to conflicts must comply with international law, protect civilians and objects essential to their survival in line with the UNSC’s Resolution 2573 (2021), ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and end the use of starvation as a method of warfare, he noted.
It is a need for greater investment in resilient food systems, along with technical assistance and knowledge sharing for vulnerable and food-import-dependent countries, while removing unilateral restrictive measures that undermine food security, Luu added.
Sharing regional experience, Luu highlighted the role of the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework and the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) in strengthening capacity to respond to supply-chain disruptions. He also reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for South-South cooperation to enhance food resilience among developing countries.
Chaired by Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the debate saw the participation of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Acting Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Carl Skau, Co-Executive Director of Action Against Hunger Perrine Benoist, and representatives from more than 80 UN member states and regional and international organisations.
Guterres warned that vital food systems and livelihoods are under severe threat in many parts of the world, including Gaza, Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan and Ukraine.
Peace is the best protection against food insecurity, he stressed, calling on the UNSC to act early to break the vicious cycle between conflict and hunger and fully implement Resolution 2417 (2018), which condemns the use of starvation as a method of warfare and the obstruction of humanitarian access.
Representatives of countries and international organisations shared deep concern and stressed the urgent need to prevent conflict, protect civilians, and ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access.
The high-level debate was a key event during Denmark’s UNSC presidency, reaffirming the link between conflict and food security and promoting effective and sustainable approaches to addressing the issue./.
