A/HRC/7/5 page 5 Introduction 1. The Special Rapporteur has the honour to present his final report to the Human Rights Council, after his mandate was extended by resolution 6/2 of that body. 2. The Special Rapporteur is outraged to report that global hunger is still on the rise, according to the latest report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on the State of Food Insecurity in the World 2006. Notwithstanding real advances in different countries (such as the People’s Republic of China, India, South Africa and several Latin American and Caribbean countries) and despite the commitments made by Governments in 1996 and again at the Millennium Summit in 2000, little progress has been made in reducing hunger worldwide. Whereas in 1996 the number of people suffering from undernourishment was estimated at some 800 million people, FAO’s latest estimate suggests that there are now 854 million who do not have enough to eat every day. Every year, more than 6 million children die from hunger-related illness before their fifth birthday. 3. This is unacceptable. In a world that is richer than ever before, more people than ever continue to suffer from malnutrition, hunger and starvation. The world already produces enough food to feed the entire global population, yet millions go to bed hungry at night. Millions of children still go without enough adequate food each day, without sufficient macro and micronutrients, condemning them to stunted physical growth and intellectual development. 4. In a world overflowing with riches, hunger is not inevitable. It is a violation of human rights. The right to food is a human right that protects the right of all human beings to live in dignity, free from hunger. It is protected under international human rights and humanitarian law. Activities of the Special Rapporteur 5. The Special Rapporteur has been honoured to continue to serve the Human Rights Council in his capacity as Special Rapporteur on the right to food. In his work over the last year, the Special Rapporteur has continued to promote the right to food amongst Governments, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world. These efforts have included country missions: the Special Rapporteur visited Bolivia from 29 April to 6 May 2007 and Cuba from 28 October to 6 November 2007, and the corresponding reports are presented as addenda to this report. During 2007, the Special Rapporteur received invitations to visit the Central African Republic, Ecuador and Madagascar. 6. As part of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur is also required to receive and respond to information on the right to food covering all aspects of the realization of this right. During the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur has therefore sent communications to Governments, requesting further information on specific allegations of violations of the right to food that he has received. A report on all communications sent in 2007 is attached as an addendum to this report. 7. The Special Rapporteur has also continued to work closely with United Nations agencies, particularly the World Food Programme (WFP) and FAO. The Special Rapporteur is pleased to note that, on the eve of the commemoration of 60 years since the proclamation by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the World Food Day celebrated