UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged the Russian Federation to resume the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, following his proposals.
Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, conveyed this message during a press briefing on Monday in New York, where he discussed Guterres’ participation in the ongoing UN Food Systems Summit+2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) in Rome, Italy.
Black sea initiative crucial to global food security
Regarding Russia’s recent decision to terminate the Black Sea Initiative, Haq pointed out that the secretary-general emphasized the gravity of the situation, as the initiative had facilitated the safe export of over 32 million tonnes of food from Ukrainian ports.
The Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding with Russia, aimed at enabling Russian food and fertilizer exports, have played a crucial role in maintaining global food security and price stability.
- “The secretary-general reiterated his commitment to ensuring unimpeded access to global markets for food products and fertilizers from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation,” Haq stated.
He called on the global community to unite and find immediate solutions to address this vital issue.
UN Chief to Meet with global leaders for Solution
During his visit to Rome, the Secretary-General also held bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Sierra Leone, Nepal, and Armenia.
Additionally, he is scheduled to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and has already met with Giorgia Meloni, the President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Italy.
The UN chief’s presence at the high-level event in Rome aims to build on the momentum generated by the 2021 Food Systems Summit. Hosted by the Italian government in collaboration with Rome-based UN agencies, the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, and the wider UN system, the meeting seeks to address the pressing challenges faced by global food systems.
During the opening ceremony, Guterres highlighted that the broken food systems were not an inevitable outcome but rather the result of choices made by society.
He stressed “In a world of plenty, it is outrageous that people continue to suffer and die from hunger,”
What you should know
In October 2022, the United Nations brokered a deal with Russia that will allow the safe passage of food imports especially grains and fertilisers from Ukraine to other parts of the world especially Nigeria and other African countries.
However, last week Russia terminated the deal citing several reasons- this move increased the prices of grains and wheat in the international market.
Russia and Ukraine are among the largest exporters of grain in the world much of which is sent to developing countries.
According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), around 349 million people rely on the black sea deal for food security.
Since August when the deal was brokered around 32 million tonnes of grain have been shipped through the corridor.
Nigeria currently relies on imported grains such as wheat to meet its needs. In the first quarter of 2023, durum wheat imported was worth N249.2 billion.
