EU Statement – UN General Assembly 2nd Committee: Agriculture development, food security and nutrition

Madam Chair,

I deliver these remarks on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the potential candidate countries Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

Firstly, we wish to reiterate our alignment to the statement jus delivered by the United States on behalf of a group of Countries regarding the responsibilities and consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine to sustainable development.

Madam Chair,

The European Union welcomes the adoption of the annual Agriculture development, food security and nutrition Resolution. This year, this Resolution came in the context of acute food security and nutrition challenges, with SDG 2 being further reversed after decades of progress, in particular due to the multiple impacts of conflicts, COVID-19 and climate change. Achieving the result of a consensual resolution this year is a demonstration of the persistance of a clear global commitment towards Zero Hunger and leaving no one behind. We wish to thank the Facilitator, the UN Secretariat, FAO and all delegations engaged in the negotiations.

We welcome the fact that the Resolution recalls this year’s General Assembly Resolution on Global Food Insecurity and calls for the implementation of the voluntary commitments of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, looking forward to its stock-taking moment next year. We also welcome the insertion of key linkages, such as with climate, the environment and the ocean, global health – with the One Health Approach – as well with water, also recalling next year’s UN Water Conference. We also welcome the reference to key global financial measures taken in the wake of the food crisis, in particular the recognition of the IMF’s Temporary Food Shock Window.

We regret that the Resolution could not clearly reflect the important commitments undertook with UN Security Resolution 2417 on Conflicts and Hunger. The EU remains fully committed to its implementation.

More generally, the EU and its Member States remain fully committed to accelerate global action on food security and nutrition. You can count on our continued support and partnership for sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition and for leaving no one behind.

Now, I would like to address a couple of additional points of interest for our discussion today.

First, the Russian Federation on Monday, and Belarus today, pretend that the war of aggression against Ukraine has no meaningful consequences either on the state of the global economy or on the livelihoods of hundreds of millions among the most vulnerable. Unfortunately only the RF and Belarus believe this and promote an “alternative” reality against recognized facts and figures. Recent reports by international organizations to which Russia and Belarus belong including this one – see for example the 3 briefings of the GCRG - establish a direct link between this war and increasing vulnerability, hunger, poverty. Russia’s denial only reflects its refusal to bear responsibility for its actions, and Russia’s intention to continue acting in full impunity.

Second, on sanctions.  EU sanctions have never targeted exports from Russia of food supplies, fertilizers, and other agricultural products. Of course, one cannot prevent possible indirect effects – due to over-compliance and ethical standards. Over-compliance cases are being addressed on a case-by-case basis as soon as they are reported. It is worth noting that RU fertilizer exports have remained at their historic level over the past months, according to FAO. 

Third, on the global consequences and the global response. The UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative, the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, the stepping up global food assistance and development cooperation can do so much  and are of crucial importance to limit the risk of a global famine, but they cannot solve the food crisis alone. Only the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and the cessation of the Russian aggression, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, can enable Ukraine to produce and export the quantities of agricultural products that a world of 8 billion people needs urgently. President Zelenskyy stated last week that his country is ready for peace. Russia’s response was to step up its missile attacks on civilian infrastructure. The Russian aggression is not only a crime against Ukraine and Ukrainians and a blatant violation of the core principles of the UN Charter; it also puts in danger the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people among the most vulnerable in the Global South. Food should never be used as a weapon of war.

I thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.