Brasil presents achievements in the fight against hunger and poverty to G20 and international organizations

With the challenge of building the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty this year, Brasil presented to the G20 member countries and guests, as well as international organizations, the globally recognized actions and programs developed in the country to tackle food insecurity and combat poverty.

The establishment of the Alliance, in the assessment of Minister Wellington Dias (Development and Social Assistance, Family and Combat against Social Hunger), materializes the direct vision of the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and demands contributions, adjustments and support from the countries that are part of the Group of 20. “It will be a strong step forward on the road to accelerating efforts to eliminate hunger, malnutrition and extreme poverty, reducing inequalities and moving towards a just and inclusive transition towards a sustainable future," affirmed Dias.

The call was part of the Brasil Sem Fome (Brasil Without Hunger) event, held at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia (DF) on Wednesday, March 20. It was the first face-to-face meeting of the Task Force to build the Alliance. During the meeting, the department outlined the history of public policies and presented the main impacts achieved by the programs.

The National Secretary of Citizenship Income, Eliane Aquino, recalled that Bolsa Família, which benefits more than 20 million families in situations of social and economic vulnerability, has accumulated stories of overcoming poverty and inclusion through education throughout its more than 20 years of existence.

"We want more than just income transfers, we want families to have access to education and health," she said. "We want to strengthen partnerships, exchange experiences and we are at your disposal so that we can really reduce poverty, hunger and inequality," Aquino added.

BRASIL SEM FOME (Brasil Without Hunger) — Valéria Burity, Extraordinary Secretary for Combating Poverty and Hunger, presented the Brasil Sem Fome program, which brings together actions from 24 ministries to combat hunger, reduce poverty and guarantee food and nutritional security. " The Global Alliance proposes a collection of successful experiences in this area around the world. Here, Brasil Sem Fome is an experience that shows that a package of integrated public policies is what can really take the country off the hunger map and guarantee food as a right for the population," defended.

The interim Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha, emphasized the fight against hunger as a priority action of the Brazilian government and said she counts on the support of the delegations "to give substance to the initiative and to make the Alliance an effective instrument for implementing SDGs 1 and 2" - Sustainable Development Goals aimed at eradicating hunger and poverty. "It is essential to intensify collective efforts for political commitments and comprehensive actions that can transform the reality of millions of people around the world, the Alliance is a collective call for change".

Guilherme Mello, representing the Ministry of Finance, emphasized the need to reinvent a new globalization with a view to a future with economic, sustainable and social development. "We need to act in a coordinated way and the fight against hunger is part of this new globalization. This initiative has not only historical, but also moral and philosophical significance," he said.

GLOBAL ALLIANCE – The Alliance's proposal, which is open to all countries, aims to form a package of public policies to combat hunger and poverty that are successful in Brasil (and in various other regions of the world). The initiative aims to establish a practical mechanism to mobilize financial resources and knowledge and direct them to the territories where they are needed, supporting the implementation and scaling up of actions, policies and programs at the national level.

Among the objectives, two stand out: to avoid duplicating efforts and to give essential political impulse to the mobilization of existing funds and solutions. In addition, it will be up to the global articulation to better organize them around two principles: consistency in the implementation of national policies and a focus on the poorest and most vulnerable.

Brasil's approach to the Alliance received unanimous support at the first technical meeting of the Task Force, which brought together around 200 people, including representatives of G20 member countries, guests and international organizations. The work of the Task Force will continue throughout the year. The Alliance is expected to be launched at the end of the year, during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.