|
5th Meeting of the Regional Thematic Workshop Group on Poverty and Hunger
Bangkok, Thailand
13 May 2008
10.00 – 12.00 hr
Room 207, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Provisional Agenda
- Opening remarks by Mr Omar Noman, Chief of Policies and Programme, UNDP RCC, and Mr He Changchui, FAO RAP, Assistant Director General & Regional Representative
- Adoption of the agenda
- Presentation of the electronic bulletin on hunger, as agreed at the last meeting (UNDP RCC)
- The Inter-agency Brainstorming on the 2008 Commemoration of the International Day on the Eradication of Poverty (UNESCAP)
- Discussion on responses to soaring food prices
- Briefing by agencies on current and future activities of interest to the Group
- Any other business
- Next meeting
- Closing
Agenda item 3
- ESCAP organizes World Poverty Day every year on 17 October.
- This year we were thinking of organizing a contest for journalism students
- As World Poverty Day and World Food Day are so close together we have a proposal to link the two events.
- We have distributed a brief concept note to that effect. I hope you have received a copy.
- My colleague Natasha Wehmer will brief you on the proposal
Agenda item 5
The issue of rising food prices and rising fuel prices was raised extensively at the recent Commission Session in April
The delegation of Nepal requested ESCAP to organize a High-level meeting to “address the challenges of the food and fuel crisis of Asia-Pacific developing countries and in particular least developed countries”
No decision has been made on how to address this request
Even before the Commission Session ESCAP established an informal working group to look into the issue of food prices and the persistent problem of food insecurity in Asia and the Pacific
The working group is preparing a policy brief on rising food prices
Theme topic
“Concerning the options for the theme topic for the 65th session presented in document E/ESCAP/64/33, several delegations, noting the current food crisis, expressed a preference either for the option on sustainable agriculture and food security or a combination of that option with the one on water security and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.”
No decision has been made about its scope, its title, or how it would be prepared or who will prepare it
|
