Due to the terrorist attacks on
the United States in September, the World Food Summit
has been postponed untill June 2002. The conference
was to take place from November 5 to 9 in Rimini,
Italy. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization
(FAO) will now host the conference in Rome from June
10 to 13 2002.
The
Director-General of the FAO, Jacques Diouf annoucning
the postponement of the conference entitled The World
Food Summit:five years later, said, "Unfortunately
the present international circumstances and the loss
of so many innocent lives and the crisis that followed
have led us to seek postponement of such an event."
The conference was originally scheduled for Rome
however the FAO sought for a change in venue to
Rimini in October. After two months of debate about
a change in venue it was ultimately decided to
postpone the event.
The 49 member countries of the FAO Council were
in agreement about this decision. This council
is the governing body of the organization and oversees
the 180-member conference.
The conference was called for by the FAO last
year when it became evident that the goals of the
original Summit were not being met. The Summit
was held in November 1996 in Rome. The conference
aimed to cut the number of hungry by half by the
year 2015.
The FAO believes that the plight of the hungry
may deteriorate due to the recent international
events especially the war in Afghanistan and the
worsening economic situation.
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