AU Symposium on the Nexus between Human Rights, Food Security, Resilience in Africa kicks off tomorrow

Addis Ababa February 20, 2023 (FBC) – The Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Pan-African-Parliament in Collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Representation to the African Union and UNECA, will organize a symposium on the nexus between human rights, food security, and resilience in Africa on 21 – 22 February 2023at Plenary Hall, Julius Nyerere Building, African Union Headquarter in Addis Ababa.

According to AU, the symposium aims to foster dialogue among the AU Permanent Representative Committee (PRC) members and critical actors on promoting and protecting human rights as a catalyst for realizing the right to food and food security in Africa. It will also raise awareness of African Parliamentarians’ role in realizing food security in Africa.

The opening session will be addressed by; Amb. Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Taonga Mushayavanhu, Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the AU, Chairperson, PRC Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance and David Phiri, FAO Representative to the Africa Union and UNECA.

It will bring together members of the African Union Permanent Representatives Committee, Representatives of the Pan-African Parliament Sub-Committee on Food Security, Representatives of relevant African Union and Regional Economic Communities Organs, Representatives of relevant UN bodies, experts, academicians, and civil society, AU stated.

The AU Symposium on Human Rights, Food Security, and Resilience in Africa will contribute to the implementation of the AU Theme of the Year 2022 by promoting a human rights-based approach to realizing food security and resilience building in Africa, AU indicated.

AU further explains that in line with the AU mandate to make peace happen, the realization of food security will significantly contribute to preventing conflicts in Africa. Specifically, the symposium will have objectives of increasing awareness of the relationship between nutrition, food security, and human rights and the roles of the human rights-based approach to food security in Africa, justifiability of the right to food and follow up on the implementation of existing legal, policy, and judicial frameworks and commitments and the role of parliamentarians in the promotion and protection of the rights to food in Africa.

The forum is expected to contribute to more commitments to implementing socio-economic rights as a catalyst for realizing food security and building resilience in Africa, AU added.

By: Yonathan Yoseph