RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 18 (MENA) - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced on Monday the launch of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty in his opening speech at this year’s G20 Summit, presided over by Brazil and held in Rio de Janeiro.

Pre-launched in July, the alliance already has the support of more than 80 countries, in addition to dozens of government and civil society organizations, The Brazilian Report said.

“It’s not just about doing justice. This is an essential condition for building more prosperous societies and a world of peace,” Lula said.

Brazil intends to reposition itself as an international leader on the issue, showcasing the successful Brazilian experience with the Zero Hunger and Bolsa Família programs — both launched by Lula in his first spell as president between 2003 and 2010.

Ending hunger is also one of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations for 2030. UN institutions such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP) also address these issues, but Brazil managed to convince its peers that a new initiative was necessary to accelerate investments.

Quoting Brazilian physician and nutritionist Josué de Castro (1908-1973), Lula stated that “hunger and poverty are not the result of scarcity, but a biological expression of social ills.”

The president highlighted that the world produces almost 6 billion tons of food each year, while forking USD 2.4 trillion on military spending.

International financial institutions and national development banks have also joined the initiative. So far, one of the biggest promises has been from the Inter-American Development Bank, which will request authorization from its boards to allocate USD 25 billion to loans in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The alliance, which will be autonomous from the rotating presidencies of the G20, will be operated from Brasília, within the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, and from Rome, within the FAO.

In 2004, during his first term, Lula led an action against hunger and poverty, with the aim of creating innovative financing mechanisms for the issue. As reported by news website UOL, the implementation of the idea did not reach any greater dimensions than a voluntary tax of USD 1 on the purchase of airline tickets, adopted by France and a few other countries.

Now, the alliance does not focus on creating new sources of financing, but on the best allocation of existing resources and on sharing expertise in public policies — which could range from income transfers to school meals, including support for small farmers and access to drinking water.

In the speech, Lula also stated that the world is now worse than it was in 2008, when the G20 took a leading role in facing the global economic crisis. He mentioned the number of armed conflicts around the world, the climate emergency and social inequalities. (MENA)
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