As part of activities leading to the UN Food Systems Summit, to be convened by the United Nations Secretary- General, His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres in September 2021, the Government of Liberia (GOL), through the National Dialogue Convener and Agriculture, Minister Jeanine M. Cooper, on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 officially launched the Liberia Dialogues on the United Nations Food Systems Summit, which will run from August 18 to 27 for viable and sustained national food systems.
Delivering a special statement during the virtual event, Foreign Minister, H.E. Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., said on behalf of His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, on the occasion of the formal launch of the Liberia National Dialogues of the United Nations Food Systems Summit, the series of dialogues to be hosted in preparation for the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 will be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency Antonio Guterres during the High-level Week of the Seventy-sixth (76th) Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021.
Minister Kemayah said the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 aims to, among others, generate significant action and measurable progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, raise awareness and elevate public discussion on reforming the food systems, and develop principles to guide governments and other stakeholders looking to leverage their food systems to support the SDGs.
Minister Kemayah, who is member of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Food Systems Summit, mentioned that the Food Systems Summit also seeks to achieve specific objectives in support of its broader vision of delivering progress on the SDGs, including ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for all, promoting and creating demand for healthy and sustainable diets, reducing waste, climate action, advancing equitable livelihoods, and ensuring the continued functionality of healthy and sustainable food systems.
“I have been asked to deliver this “Special Statement” both in my capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021. In this context, I would like to recall that your humble servant, while serving as Permanent Representative of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations, and His Excellency Ambassador Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations in New York, were respectively endorsed by the African Group of Permanent Representatives at the United Nations and subsequently appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General as Africa’s two representatives on the Advisory Committee of the Food Systems Summit.
“As Africa’s representatives on the Advisory Committee, Ambassador Halile and I were honored to serve, along with the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests of the Kingdom of Morocco, Hon. Aziz Akhannouch, as Co-organizers of the African Regional Dialogue, as part of the Food Systems Summit Dialogues.
“The Regional Dialogue for Africa, jointly organized by the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations and Africa’s two representatives on the Advisory Committee, was held on July 13, 2021, Agadir, the Kingdom of Morocco,” Minister Kemayah explained.
He intoned that the Dialogue provided the opportunity for African ministers and regional stakeholders to discuss Africa’s needs and commitments, as well as its ambitions ahead of the Summit, with the aim of developing a common African position.
Minister Kemayah disclosed that a few weeks ago, to be precise, July 26—28, 2021, the food systems pre-summit was convened in Rome Italy, ahead of the summit in September 2021. He noted that the pre-summit brought together diverse actors, including youth, food producers, indigenous people, civil society, researchers, private sector, finance leaders, policy leaders and Ministers of agriculture, environment, health, nutrition, and finance, among other participants, with the aim of leveraging the power of food systems to deliver progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“At the pre-summit, I had the honor to participate in a dedicated ministerial roundtable on the theme, ‘Transforming Food Systems for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: Rising to the Challenge’. In my statement, I highlighted among others, the importance of food systems and their role in achieving the SDGs. But I also noted the vulnerabilities and challenges of global food systems, which we have to grapple with,” Minister Kemayah said.
Liberia’s dialogues were convened in partnership with the United Nations systems in Liberia along with UK-based Concern Worldwide and Germany’s biggest private developmental and humanitarian aid agency, Welthungerhilfe.
The Dialogues attracted stakeholders in the animal products, cassava, cocoa, oil palm and rice sectors, which are particularly keen to Liberia’s food systems.
Stakeholders deliberated on four main topics: Food Value Chain Development—Challenges and Opportunities for Liberia’s Economic Growth; Ending Youth Unemployment through Agriculture: A Case for Liberia; Mitigating Climate Impacts on Liberian Farmers and Sourcing Home Grown Food to Boost Nutrition.
Liberia’s common position—on a viable and sustainable food systems drawn from the dialogues—will be submitted at the summit in New York, giving audience to all voices.
The National Convener had constituted a National Multi-stakeholders Group comprising of government institutions, private-sector actors, civil society groups, diplomatic missions, multilateral bodies and international non-governmental organizations actively involved in food security.
A National Coordination Secretariat, which the Ministry of Agriculture heads, has been in place since April to coordinate the national dialogues.