Africa: Presidential Statement from the UN Security Council Puts Conflict-Induced Food Insecurity and Famine at the Center of its Agenda

State Department
Secretary Antony J. Blinken addressing media after a UN Security Council Debate on Famine and Conflict-Induced Global Food Insecurity.
3 August 2023
United States Mission to the United Nations (New York)
document

United Nations — U.S.-Led Effort Results in First Security Council Product Addressing Food Insecurity in Years

Today, the United Nations Security Council unanimously put conflict, hunger, and famine at the center of its agenda. For the first time in years, the Council has united to address food insecurity and its varied causes.

In line with the joint communiqué drafted by the United States, today's presidential statement strongly condemns the use of starvation as a method of warfare. Roughly 345 million people – in 79 countries – experience food insecurity, often caused or exacerbated by armed conflict.

"This Council is charged with maintaining international peace and security," Secretary Blinken said today during the United Nations Security Council High-level Open Debate on Conflict-Induced Global Food Insecurity. "And we simply cannot preserve peace and security without strengthening food security."

The presidential statement also expands the Council's engagement on climate change and its impact on peace and security, reaffirms the central role of women in peacebuilding, and underscores the importance of regional and sub-regional organizations in preventing famine.

"The Council has spoken: we must address food insecurity and end famine. Now we must harness this momentum for further action. Around the world, hostilities breed hunger, fighting breeds famine," said U.S. Representative to the UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield. "The international community has the power to feed the world and end famine. But to do so, we must root out conflict-induced food insecurity. This is a security issue. It's an economic issue. And it's a moral issue."

FULL STATEMENT

At the 93xx the meeting of the Security Council, held on 3 August 2023, in connection with the Council's consideration of the item entitled "Maintenance of international peace and security,", the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

  1. "The Security Council recalls its resolution 2417 (2018) and its Presidential Statements of 9 August 2017 (S/PRST/2017/14) and 29 April 2020 (S/PRST/2020/6)
  2. "The Security Council reaffirms its commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, including its purposes and principles, and the primary responsibility of the Security Council under the Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security and, in this regard, reiterates its commitment to address conflict-induced food insecurity, including famine, in situations of armed conflict.
  3. "The Security Council reaffirms the full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
  4. "The Security Council reaffirms the central role of the United Nations, as well as its commitment to strengthening coordination within the United Nations system and commends the actions of the United Nations and its agencies, and other international, regional, and national organizations, to respond to food insecurity and malnutrition especially in situations of armed conflict
  5. "The Security Council underlines the importance of the role of regional and sub-regional organizations and arrangements and of cooperation with them, consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, with regard to maintaining international peace and security, contributing to international efforts to uphold the Charter and prevent famine, and conflict-induced food insecurity and malnutrition especially in situations of armed conflict.
  6. "The Security Council reaffirms the primary responsibility of States to protect the population throughout their whole territory and the obligation of all parties to armed conflict to respect international humanitarian law and the need for them, to allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, including medical assistance, and reaffirming also the need for all actors engaged in the provision of such assistance in situations of armed conflict to promote and fully adhere to these principles.
  7. "The Security Council expresses concern about insufficient humanitarian and development assistance and funding that is limiting efforts to address conflict-induced food insecurity and threat of famine and calls on Member States to make all efforts to increase humanitarian and development assistance and funding to food assistance and humanitarian needs, including through UN agencies.
  8. The Security Council welcomes the commitment of the multilateral development banks and international financial institutions to combine their expertise and financing to quickly increase policy and financial support to countries and households vulnerable to the food security crises and to increase domestic agricultural production in, and supply to, affected countries.
  9. The Security Council encourages UN Member States with available resources to increase efforts to support vulnerable countries in the sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems including through agro-ecological approaches and other innovative approaches, making them more resilient and to support smallholder farmers, including their access to agricultural inputs and financial services, and strengthen the infrastructure, logistical support, and innovation needed to cultivate, store, and distribute food.
  10. The Security Council calls on UN Member States with available resources to provide in-kind donations and cover necessary associated costs for the benefit of vulnerable countries in need and also to provide such donations to key humanitarian organizations for transportation and delivery of food commodities.
  11. "The Security Council reaffirms that access to affordable, safe and nutritious food is a basic human need, and shares the importance of working closely together to prevent and respond to famine and conflict-induced food insecurity and malnutrition and to build more resilient, sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems.
  12. "The Security Council reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, and reiterates its call to increase the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in these efforts, and all related decision-making processes with regard to conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding in line with resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security and related resolutions.
  13. "The Security Council stresses the need for humanitarian assistance to be gender-and age-sensitive, and to remain responsive to the different needs of the population, including in the prevention of famine, and ensuring that these needs are integrated in the humanitarian response.
  14. " The Security Council recognizes that climate change, environmental degradation, ecological changes and natural disasters, among other factors, can adversely impact food security, water scarcity, livelihoods and the humanitarian situation, including through drought, desertification, and land degradation, while acknowledging the importance of implementing the UNFCCC1 and the Paris Agreement2, and continues to stress the need for long-term strategies, based on comprehensive risk assessments by governments and the United Nations, to support stabilization and build resilience. [United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822 2 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 3156, No 54113, adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21."]
  15. The Security Council recognizes that - on top of armed conflicts - economic downturns, gender inequalities, biodiversity loss, drought and the adverse effects of climate change, including more frequent and extreme weather events, are among the key factors contributing to a reversal in the long- term progress in fighting global hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030 more difficult.
  16. "The Security Council expresses concern over the growing number of armed conflicts in different geographic areas all over the globe and reiterates the need to break the vicious cycle between armed conflict and food insecurity and takes note that in 2022 armed conflict was the most significant driver of high levels of acute food insecurity for roughly 117 million people in 19 countries and territories.
  17.  "The Security Council is particularly concerned with the effects of food insecurity and malnutrition on children, with estimates of 148.1 million children under five years of age (22.3 percent) being stunted and 45 million (6.8 percent) being wasted globally.
  18. "The Security Council highlights the fact that forced displacement is an important factor driving and driven by food insecurity and that displaced persons have often more difficulties to access food and notes the links between food scarcity and gender-based violence.
  19. "The Security Council expresses its deep concern over the serious humanitarian threat posed to civilians by landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices in affected countries, which has serious and lasting social and economic consequences, including regarding food security for the populations of such countries.
  20. The Security Council Strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access for responses to conflict-induced food insecurity in situations of armed conflict, which may constitute a violation of international humanitarian law.
  21. "The Security Council recalls the link between armed conflict, violence and conflict-induced food insecurity and the threat of famine, and calls on all parties to armed conflict to comply their obligations under international humanitarian law regarding respecting and protecting civilians and civilian objects, including objects necessary for food production and distribution such as farms, markets, water systems, mills, food processing and storage sites, and hubs and means for food transportation, and refraining from attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects that are indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, crops, livestock, agricultural assets, drinking water installations and supplies, and irrigation works, and respecting and protecting humanitarian personnel and consignments used for humanitarian relief operations; and underlines the importance of safe, and unimpeded access of humanitarian personnel to civilians in armed conflicts.
  22. "The Security Council calls on all parties to armed conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, and underlines the importance of safe and unimpeded access of humanitarian personnel to civilians in armed conflicts, calls upon all parties concerned, including neighboring States, to cooperate fully with the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator and United Nations agencies in providing such access, invites States and the Secretary-General to bring to its attention information regarding the unlawful denial of such access in violation of international law, where such denial may constitute a threat to international peace and security, and, in this regard, expresses its willingness to consider such information and, when necessary, to adopt appropriate steps.
  23. "The Security Council urges those with influence over parties to armed conflict to remind the latter of their obligation to comply with international humanitarian law.
  24. "The Security Council also urges all relevant actors including those with the ability to influence armed groups, to act to stop the blocking of roads required for the supplying of and access to local markets and the damaging of sources of food, including crops and livestock, as well as medical and humanitarian supplies  
  25. The Security Council also recognizes the importance of supporting synergistic data collection, analysis and dissemination work by international organizations in order to prevent and minimize any risk in a crisis.
  26. "The Security Council encourages the United Nations and all relevant stakeholders, including by ensuring the full, effective and meaningful participation of women, to work together in support of countries affected by armed conflict to reduce needs, protect livelihoods, improve access to basic services and build resilience of conflict-affected countries' populations, in particular those in vulnerable situations, thereby contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including eradicating poverty and reducing the risk of food insecurity and malnutrition in situations of armed conflict.
  27. "The Security Council reiterates its commitment to work with the Secretary-General to pursue all possible avenues to prevent conflict-induced food insecurity, acute malnutrition and threat of famine and its commitment to pursue all possible avenues to prevent and end armed conflicts, including through addressing their underlying root causes in an inclusive, integrated and sustainable manner by promoting dialogue, mediation, consultations, political negotiations and other peaceful means while enhancing humanitarian, development and peace-building efforts, in this regard. The Security Council further underlines the urgent need for redoubled efforts for their prevention and resolution, addressing where pertinent the regional dimensions of armed conflicts with specific emphasis on regional diplomacy and arrangements.
  28. "The Security Council recognizes the value of receiving timely information and commends the Secretary-General's efforts to report swiftly to the Council when the risk of conflict-induced famine and wide-spread food insecurity in armed conflict contexts occurs, and reiterates its strong intention to give its full attention to such information provided by the Secretary-General when those situations are brought to its attention.
  29. "The Security Council encourages the Secretary General to include information disaggregated by sex and age in his reporting on country specific situation analysis when the risk of conflict-induced famine and widespread food insecurity in armed conflict occurs and expresses its intention to continue to give such information its due attention, including relevant recommendations to avert such risks.

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