Hunger is our greatest challenge says Taoiseach

Nancy Aburi, a member of the Irish government’s hunger task force from Kenya, said if we are to positively affect development in Africa we should concentrate on women’s empowerment and education. The women of Africa, she said, will help build communities and develop the continent. We were speaking after Taoiseach Brian Cowen launched the Hunger Task Force report in New York at the UN. The Task Force was set up last year to look at ways in which Ireland could have an impact on the fight against hunger.

The launch was attended by members of the Task Force, such as Nancy, and Sheila Sisulu, from the World Food Programme, another African woman. She was supposed to lend a little gender equality to the dais, but an accident saw her breaking her leg and her wheelchair could not be accommodated at the top table. That left Task Force Chair Joe Walsh, former minister for agriculture, Bono, Ban Ki-Moon, secretary general of the UN, Jeffrey Sachs of Colombia University, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Martin and Minister of State for Overseas Development Peter Power seated at the top of the ECOSOC chamber.

In the chamber itself, Britain, Norway, Sweden and Australia were some of the countries represented. However, African leaders were also conspicuous by their absence, Nancy pointed out.

The photographers were delighted when Bob Geldof and Bono appeared in time for a few private words with the Irish politicians before the event kicked off. Launching the event, Chairman Joe Walsh said that hunger epitomised the most gross consequences of sustained injustice and that the only tolerable approach to it must be to pursue its early global elimination as a goal of unparalleled importance.

He spoke of the three key recommendations in the report, the focus on agriculture, the need to focus on nutrition and the need for governance to ensure that all governments are held to account to follow through on their commitments.

Economist Jeffrey Sachs mentioned Ireland’s commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of GDP on aid by 2012, and the Taoiseach’s speech reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to the MDGs and the target date of 2015.

He said the government would reflect on the report’s findings and determine how best to move forward. “Hunger is our greatest challenge,” he said. “It is nothing short of scandalous that there are over 860 million hungry people in the world today. We do not need to make further pledges if we just deliver on what we have already promised. The commitments and the know-how are already there. It is the political will and action that will make the difference in the fight against hunger.”

Bono, also a task force member, offered some musings on the psychological scars left by the Irish famine, and remarked that it was not the result of crop failure and bad luck, but bad management by those in power who were exporting food at the same time. He said that while it’s fashionable in some quarters to dismiss aid, it does work. Ireland had benefited from EU aid, he added.

With the right policies and interventions we can make a difference for people on the ground, he said. He thanked Bob Geldof for being there – and for shaving and putting on a suit for the occasion.

When the official event was over, Irish media and photographers swarmed all over Bono, seeking his opinion on the US presidential election candidate for the vice-presidency, Sarah Palin, whom he was supposed to meet yesterday. He was dodging the questions, moaned one, wouldn’t be drawn on what he thought of her.

Sometimes the person becomes bigger than the issue, but Bono was on message today.