Discourse: Marlehn Thieme Discusses G20 Summit and the Right to Food
The G20's Global Alliance to End Hunger and Poverty, launched under Brazil’s presidency in 2024, represents a major international effort to tackle persistent global challenges through coordinated action. This initiative aims to address the root causes of hunger and extreme poverty, improve coordination among stakeholders, and mobilize resources for effective public policies.
The alliance adopts an integrated strategy that combines social protection with access to essential services such as education, health, finance, and agriculture. By reducing the fragmentation of efforts and improving coordination among financial institutions, governments, and other stakeholders, the alliance seeks to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2—ending poverty and hunger.
A core priority is mobilizing resources for implementing effective public policies, streamlining financial flows from multiple donors, and connecting them directly to on-the-ground needs, including climate-resilient social protection and smallholder agriculture. The alliance promotes moving away from short-term, fragmented projects toward systemic, long-term investments that foster shared goals and clear accountability.
Civil society organizations play a key role in this initiative. They advocate for policy reforms, ensure transparency, and hold governments and institutions accountable for meeting commitments on hunger and poverty reduction. Civil society acts as a bridge between the public and private sectors, facilitating forums for coordinated action and encouraging cross-hiring to bring new perspectives and innovation into development finance.
The alliance also emphasizes the importance of promoting gender and diversity in senior finance and policy positions, which is seen as vital for productivity and innovation in food and nutrition security. By connecting with local communities, civil society helps to ensure that the alliance’s initiatives are inclusive and responsive to the needs of those most affected by hunger and poverty.
The alliance's impact on climate and human rights is significant. It seeks to scale up finance for climate-resilient social protection and agriculture, recognizing that unchecked climate change is a key driver of hunger and malnutrition. By tackling the drivers of hunger and poverty—such as climate change, conflict, and economic shocks—the alliance supports broader human rights objectives, including the rights to food, health, and a decent standard of living.
The focus on systemic, long-term investments helps to build resilience against climate risks and promotes sustainable development, which is foundational for realizing economic, social, and cultural rights. The multi-sectoral approach of the alliance—including education, health, and social protection—contributes to advancing human rights by addressing interconnected challenges holistically.
In summary, the G20’s Global Alliance to End Hunger and Poverty is positioned as a transformative initiative, leveraging coordinated action at multiple levels to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. This alliance, with the active participation of civil society, promises to bring about systemic change for sustainable development, advancing human rights, and fostering a more equitable world.
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- The alliance, following the G20's initiative, focuses on an integrated strategy that includes development cooperation in sectors such as health-and-wellness, nutrition, and lifestyle, aiming to improve access to essential services like education and agriculture.
- In order to accelerate progress towards ending poverty and hunger (SDGs 1 and 2), the alliance encourages coordination among financial institutions, governments, and other stakeholders, especially in funding climate-resilient social protection and agriculture.
- Civil society organizations within the alliance advocate for policy reforms, promoting gender and diversity in senior finance and policy positions, and ensuring transparency and accountability in food and nutrition security, all crucial aspects of fostering a more equitable world.
