Ahead of the first ever United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) later this month, at which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to address, a media sensitization workshop titled, ‘Media Sensitization Workshop on Participation of Bangladesh in the United Nation’s Food System Summit (UNFSS) 2021 was held in the city on Saturday.
The Ministry of Food, under its Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) on behalf of the National Dialogue Committee (NDC) in collaboration with United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Global Alliances for Nutrition Initiative (GAIN) organized the workshop.
The half-day learning exchange workshop aimed at incorporating a diverse set of prominent voices and actors in the workshop to act together for a sustainable food system of Bangladesh with accelerating Bangladesh’s run-up and commitments towards the Summit and provide the journalists with new resources for their reporting.
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder was the chief guest of the event, while the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Md. Mokbul Hossain PAA attended the program as special guest. The Secretary of the Ministry of Food, Mossammat Nazmanara Khanum chaired the program.
While addressing, Food Minister, Shadhan Chandra Majumder said "our only goal is to build a hunger-free, reliable, self-sufficient, and affluent Bangladesh. To achieve this goal, we have made the food management of the country more pragmatic and stronger like other sectors. We have given priority to the food and nutrition sector to address the issues of food security in an integrated manner".
Under the leadership of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the UN Food Systems Summit will take place on Thursday, 23 September 2021.
Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina is expected to speak about the national perspective on the contributions that food systems can make towards realizing the vision of the 2030 Agenda in Bangladesh -– and making a commitment to learn, share, gather and act for food systems transformation.
Robert D. Simpson, Representative in Bangladesh of FAO says ‘UN Food Systems Summit is a People’s Summit. This is a grassroots level process through its in-depth engagement and involvement of all most every sectors of development with conducting different dialogues at national and local levels and reflecting the voices of peoples from different walks including the young people, the future of the nation’.
In line , while lauding the role of media as the representatives of the mass people, he stressed the importance of media and their contribution directly to the Summit’s ambitious vision and objectives.
The Chair of the event, the Secretary of Food, Mossammat Nazmanara said , ‘Bangladesh is a focal of Action Track-1, of the UN FSS 2021, while all of the 5 Action Tracks 5 are a coordinated approach.
She highlighted on the National Pathway document for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 titled ‘Towards Sustainable Food Systems in Bangladesh’, a living document focusing on the government’s current and next 10 years work plan.’
Among others Dr. Rudaba Khondokar, Country Director, Global Alliances for Nutrition Initiative (GAIN), FAO’s Dhaka Food System, Chief Technical advisor John Taylor and Director General, Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) Md. Shahiduzzaman Faruki spoke on the occasion.
The UN Food Systems Summit 2o21 aims to leverage a food systems approach across the 2030 Action Agenda and meet the challenges of climate change and other relevant issues outlined in the summit’s five Action Tracks.
