Minister of State Peter Power calls for urgent international action to tackle hunger
17 February 2010
Minister of State for Overseas Development, Peter Power TD, today called for renewed international efforts to eradicate hunger ahead of a major summit on the Millennium Development Goals.
Speaking at a meeting of EU Development Ministers inSpaintoday, Minister Power said:
“It is essential that the eradication of hunger lies at the heart of all our development efforts. We must acknowledge that it is simply unacceptable that more than one billion people in the world are now hungry.
“At the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)Summitin September, we will be two-thirds of the way to 2015, the date the international community set ourselves to halve the number of people suffering from hunger. There has been some success since 2000, but the impact of the global economic crisis has affected our progress.
“Achieving the MDG of halving the number of people suffering from hunger will require a concerted international effort to accord hunger the priority it deserves. We need a comprehensive approach that is focused on agricultural growth and improving maternal and infant nutrition,” Minister Power said.
“Irelandhas put a special emphasis on hunger right across our aid programme. I have made tackling hunger a cornerstone of our programme; committed to spending 20% of our budget on hunger eradication and related activities by 2012 and I have appointed a Special Envoy for Hunger to support and advise us on how to realise that commitment.
“I am determined to focus relentlessly on the eradication of hunger andIrelandis committed to playing a very active role in advancing real and sustainable solutions to this enduring crisis, in particular in the lead up to the MDG Summit inNew Yorknext September,” he said.
“Since the launch of the report of the Hunger Task Force,Irelandhas been a vocal advocate for tackling global hunger. We are proud of the role we are playing and we will continue to speak out for the hungry.
At the two-day meeting inLa Granja,Spain, Development Ministers will also discuss the EU’s ongoing response to the earthquake inHaitiand measures to make aid more effective.
For further information or to arrange an interview with Minister of State Peter Power, please contact Fionnuala Quinlan, Press Officer, Irish Aid, the Department of Foreign Affairs on 01-4082653 or 087-9099975
ENDS
Press Office
17 February 2010
Notes for the editor
- Irish Aid is the Government’s programme for overseas assistance. It is a division of the Department for Foreign Affairs. For further information see www.irishaid.gov.ie
- The Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) are eight international development goals which were agreed by UN member states and the world’s leading development institutions in 2000. They range from halving the number of people living in extreme poverty and hunger to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by 2015. For further information see http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/index.shtml
- A summit to review progress and expedite action on the Millennium Development Goals will be held inNew Yorkin September
