Civil society raises food sovereignty issue
Via Campesina has been mandated by civil society organisations to ask Kofi Anan, Secretary General of the United Nations, to recognise food sovereignty as a basic human right
Civil society organisations met on 11 and 12 June to prepare a series of recommendations to government members of UNCTAD, who meet in São Paulo, 14-18 June 2004. The struggle for the recognition of the right to food sovereignty, defined for the first time by Via Campesina at the World Food Summit in 1996, has been recognised as a priority by the non-governmental organisations present at the civil society summit.

Iara Pietrakowski, (ABONG – Brazil) was nominated to speak on behalf of civil society organisations and to tell Kofi Anan that they hope to see UNCTAD strengthened by this conference and that it will go on to promote united and sustainable development and oppose and propose alternatives to WTO-imposed neoliberalism.

José Bové (Via Campesina – France) was nominated to present the issue of food sovereignty to Kofi Annan. He asked the United Nations Secretary General to organise an international conference on this issue and asked him to support Via Campesina organisations in their efforts to have food sovereignty recognised as a new basic human right.

São Paulo 14 June 2004

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