Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, praised the formation of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty in an address at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday and said that the UAE would allocate $100 million to the initiative through the UAE Aid Agency.
Sheikh Khaled was speaking on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed, and passed on his best wishes to leaders at the summit, and hopes for the forum's success. He also said the newly formed alliance's significance was a step forward in shaping global policies that provide sustainable solutions and resources, state news agency Wam reported.
He spoke of the UAE’s dedication to supporting global initiatives to combat hunger and poverty at regional and international levels, reinforcing efforts to promote development, peace and prosperity.
The summit brings together leaders of many of the world's largest and fastest-developing economies to discuss global economic issues, and is being held until Tuesday. The UAE is this year taking part in the G20 summit as a guest country for the fifth time.
The newly launched Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, whose focus is co-ordinating efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty worldwide, is backed by the African Union and the EU, international organisations, development banks, and philanthropic groups such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
In his opening remarks at the summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called food insecurity a “stain that shames humanity”.
“Hunger and poverty are not the result of scarcity or natural phenomena … they are the product of political decisions,” said Mr da Silva. "In a world that produces almost 6 billion tonnes of food per year, this is unacceptable.”
Sheikh Khaled met Mr da Silva before the G20 meeting, with discussions focused on ways to enhance bilateral relations. They also witnessed the signing of agreements in investment and international co-operation, Abu Dhabi Media Office reported.
Sheikh Khaled's delegation included Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation; Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State; Mohamed Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment; Saif Ghobash, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council; Saleh Alsuwaidi, ambassador of the UAE to Brazil; and Waleed Al Muhairi, deputy group chief executive of Mubadala.
