Supporting Civil Society Participation in Committee on World Food Security - GCP/GLO/936/GER

Abstract

Civil society organizations play a crucial role in food security and poverty reduction. They have increasingly shown their capacities and potential in programme and project design, execution and implementation at decentralized levels, as well as their contributions to important policy discussions and normative work at global level. This has been especially evident in their role and participation in the Committee on World Food Security, the United Nations’ official forum for the review of policies concerning food security. In 2009, the CFS underwent reform to become more effective and inclusive of all stakeholders, particularly acknowledging the prominent role of civil society in the work of the CFS. CSOs were invited to autonomously establish an international Civil Society Mechanism to ensure the continued participation and contribution of civil society in the debates and decisions taken by the CFS. The aim of the project was to support the active participation of the CSM in the annual plenary session of the CFS.