Janet Yellen Secretary of the Treasury | Twitter Website
As Prepared for Delivery
I would like to start by thanking Brazil, including President Lula and Ministers Haddad, Dias, and Vieira, for hosting this Ministerial today to endorse the establishment of a Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty.
Last September, I underscored how the global challenges of climate change, pandemics, and fragility and conflict all exacerbate and are exacerbated by hunger and poverty.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition report released just this morning makes clear that these global challenges continue to put pressure on our hard-won gains toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate poverty and hunger.
And these challenges weigh most heavily on the poorest countries and most vulnerable people, threatening their lives, livelihoods, and well-being.
Enabling individuals, communities, and countries to prepare for, help mitigate, and manage such shocks requires long-term thinking, effective country-owned policy implementation, strong partnerships across disciplines, and cohesive investments in systems that build resilience.
Each of these are tenets at the core of the collective vision for the Global Alliance, and of the work the United States has been pursuing.
The United States has committed over $20 billion to efforts to address global food insecurity since 2021. This includes committing about $1 billion annually through the U.S. Government’s global hunger and poverty initiative Feed the Future which has lifted 23.4 million people out of poverty prevented 5.2 million families from experiencing hunger unlocked $6.2 billion in additional food security financing.
In response to the 2022 food security crisis triggered by Russia's war on Ukraine I convened international financial institutions resulting in jointly developed IFI Action Plan to Address Food Insecurity The Action Plan proved effective in shaping a coordinated response to food security crisis including driving substantial commitments By June 2023 World Bank had mobilized $45 billion toward food nutrition security significantly surpassing its original commitment Ongoing work by IFIs build cohesive approaches fostering resilient food systems will support better alignment resources fight against hunger poverty
The United States has also continued invest multilateral platforms proven track records impactful country demand-driven programs including International Fund Agricultural Development (IFAD) Global Agriculture Food Security Program (GAFSP). I am pleased important work both IFAD GAFSP recognized Alliance December last year United States announced leading pledge $162 million IFAD’s thirteenth replenishment recently reached record $1.4 billion new replenishment financing And I am so pleased Brazil recently announced its $13 million pledge more than doubling its contribution during previous replenishment We also continue support GAFSP launched G20 wake 2007–08 food price crisis provide financial technical resources projects advance food security Since inception GAFSP mobilized over $2 billion donor funding which United States contributed $800 million As United States continues prioritize fight against hunger poverty we remain supportive goals Global Alliance against Hunger Poverty As global challenges worsen food security disproportionately impact most vulnerable we have responsibility work together address these needs Thank you
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