A/HRC/43/44/Add.6
ADDENDUM 1
ITALIAN DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION EFFORTS
TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIGHT TO FOOD
As far as the Italian cooperation efforts in the implementation of the right to food, the
following document summarizes the most recent commitments, which could be mentioned
in your report.
1.
Summary
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Directorate-General for
Development Cooperation, engages in multilateral, multi-bilateral, emergency and
humanitarian assistance initiatives, in order to ensure food security as a basic human right
and as a fundamental element of human dignity. In 2018-2019, Italy financed € 45,8 million
in emergency and humanitarian assistance projects that best respond to the issues close to the
right to food, as well as a large number of other initiatives addressing the agricultural sector
and food systems worldwide, with particular attention to African countries. Finally, Italy
contributed in 2019 to the SDG 2 activities of the RBAs in 2019 with€ 9,5 million as well as
a contribution of € 29,4 million to other agencies/international organizations engaged in
ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable
agriculture.
2.
Italian cooperation programming and policy documents
Main reference for our initiatives concerning the right to food should be made to the two
Programming and Policy Planning Documents (respectively for 2016-2018 and 2017-2019).
These set out strategic guidelines for the Italian development cooperation, geographical and
thematic priorities, implementation mechanisms, instruments and financial allocations. The
right to food is mentioned in several parts of these documents (On pages 52 and 60 in the
2016-2018 Document and on pages 3 and 12 in the 2017-2019 Document). We provide here
some additional information that we hope might be useful for the SR’s report.
In general, it is worth reminding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation, Directorate-General for Development Cooperation pays particular attention to
the role that the agricultural sector and food systems play on people’s access to adequate and
nutritious food. Relevant issues include land access for young people and vulnerable groups
as well as support for small-holder farmers and rural communities, for people
disproportionately impacted by hunger, including migrants, and for the urban and the rural
poor. Italy engages in multilateral, multi-bilateral, emergency and humanitarian assistance
initiatives, in order to ensure food security as a basic human right and as a fundamental
element of human dignity.
3.
Italian humanitarian initiatives in the field of food security and related
sectors
The humanitarian initiatives of the Italian Cooperation respond to the needs of the most
vulnerable groups of the population - namely refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs),
women and children, people with disabilities - facing particularly harsh conditions in contexts
of armed conflicts, prolonged crises and natural disasters aftermath. Food security is among
the most urgent needs to be addressed in order to save lives, and as such, the Italian
Cooperation devotes a significant share of its resources to this sector, partnering with
International Organizations - such as WFP, UNHCR and UNICEF - and Civil Society
Organizations.
Food security interventions play a crucial role to achieve results also in other areas, e.g.
Italian-financed initiatives supporting meal distribution in schools, in particular for Syrian
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