November 16 2009

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has called for a clear plan of action to alleviate the plight of over a billion people suffering from chronic hunger globally. He was addressing world leaders today at the World Food Summit taking place in Rome, Italy. The Summit is aimed at enhancing food security against the background of a rising world population and climate change.

Motlanthe says: "We need strong accountablility, follow-up mechanisms, monitoring, evaluation and matching funding to implement our decisions. The world cannot afford another summit in the face of increasing numbers of hungry people; let this summit help end hunger."

Motlanthe also urged world leaders to transform international financial and economic regimes to reduce world hunger. Motlanthe says while there are signs that the global economic crisis is easing in some sectors of the developed world, developing countries are continuing to experience negative growth rates.

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