Presidents of developed and developing countries have joined forces to combat hunger and poverty.
The world leaders embraced the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, an initiative spearheaded by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the 19th Group of 20 (G20) Summit, which rounded off last night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s commercial capital.
“This bold and visionary step underscores Brazil’s leadership in addressing one of the most urgent and persistent challenges facing our world today”, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said while addressing leaders at the meeting.
Among the leaders are: United States (U.S.) President Joe Biden; Chinese President Xi Jinping; United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Stammer; French President Emmanuel Macron; Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and host President da Silva.
Eighty-two countries are members of the alliance against hunger.
After last-minute negotiations, Javier Milei’s Argentina became the 82nd country to join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, Brazil’s initiative launched during the two-day summit.
With Buenos Aires’ decision, all G20 countries are now members.
The African Union, the European Union, nine financial institutions, 24 international organisations, and 31 philanthropic and non-governmental entities, totalling 148 are founding members.
President Tinubu said: “The creation of this Alliance marks a significant milestone in our global efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty, and it also sends a powerful message of solidarity to vulnerable populations around the globe.
“By fostering collaboration between governments, international organisations, and civil society, this initiative offers a comprehensive approach, not only to addressing immediate needs, but also tackling the structural causes of hunger and poverty.”
President Tinubu compared the global initiative to one of the eight priority areas he outlined during his inauguration 18 months ago, expressing Nigeria’s eagerness to adopt the international best practices to advance its economic development.
He said Nigeria’s endorsement of the Global Alliance is a significant step in its efforts to address hunger and poverty by leveraging international cooperation and resources to bolster domestic strategies.
He added that by supporting the initiative, Nigeria had also demonstrated a solid commitment to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1, which focuses on eradicating poverty, and SDG 2, which aims to achieve zero hunger.
President Tinubu added: “These goals are at the core of Nigeria’s development agenda, and the Alliance offers a platform to accelerate progress towards them.
“By collaborating with international partners, Nigeria aims to leverage best practices, innovative solutions, and financial support to enhance its efforts to combat poverty and hunger.
“The endorsement reinforces Nigeria’s role as a key player in global efforts to promote sustainable development and improve the quality of life for all its citizens.”
President Tinubu called for the reform of the United Nations Security Council to ensure its continued relevance in global interventions.
