The G20 Leaders’ Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was headlined by the official launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty (henceforth “the Alliance”).
One of the main initiatives championed by Brazil during its G20 presidency in 2024, the initiative will serve as a platform for connecting countries in need of assistance with public policies targeted towards eradicating hunger and poverty, with partners willing to offer expertise or financial support.
An urgent need
In 2015, all 193 UN Member States adopted the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ which aimed to, among other things, end poverty and hunger, and achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030.
But the Covid-19 pandemic led to significant reversals in the progress made towards these ends, as extreme poverty rose and nutrition standards fell, especially in the Global South. The uneven economic recovery since, along with a rise in global conflicts, and the harmful impacts of climate change, have further weakened the fight against hunger and poverty.
As things stand, progress is too slow to meet the 2030 targets. “Current projections indicate that 622 million people will live below the extreme poverty line of $ 2.15 per day by 2030 — double the target level,” the Alliance said in a statement during its launch. It added: “If current trends persist, 582 million people will live in hunger by 2030, approximately the same number as in 2015”.
It is in this context that Brazil chose to launch the Alliance during its G20 presidency. Speaking during the launch, Brazil President Lula da Silva said: “I attended the first G20 Leaders’ Meeting in Washington in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Sixteen years later, I am saddened to see that the world is even worse off. We have the highest number of armed conflicts since World War II, and the highest number of forced displacements ever recorded. Extreme weather events are having devastating effects on every corner of the planet. Social, racial, and gender inequalities are deepening in the wake of a pandemic that has claimed more than 15 million lives. The ultimate symbol of our collective tragedy is hunger and poverty.”
How Alliance will function
According to Lula, 81 countries (including India), 26 international organisations, 9 financial institutions, and 31 philanthropic foundations and non-governmental organisations have already joined the Alliance.
The Alliance will provide a platform for countries to support each others’ public policies aimed at eradicating hunger and poverty. According to a factsheet released by the Alliance, “any member country can access proven best practices from other members and identify potential partners willing to assist in the development of its own national model.” Assistance may be in the form of technical expertise or financial support.
The Alliance has identified an evidence-based policy basket, which comprises more than 50 policy instruments that member countries can avail support for. Of particular importance are the six “Sprints 2030”, high-impact areas which will see target-oriented initiatives catering to the most vulnerable. These include: school meals; cash transfers; smallholder and family farming support programs; socio-economic inclusion programs; integrated maternal and early childhood interventions; and water access solutions.
Unlike many initiatives, the Alliance does not boast an exclusive fund. Rather it envisions playing a matchmaking role, connecting countries in need with motivated donors and technical support. The $2-3 million required annually for its operations will come from member countries and institutions such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, and the World Bank.
The Alliance may be headquartered in Brasilia, or some other Global South country. It will also likely have an office at the FAO headquarters in Rome.
