World Summit on Food Security opens Monday 16th Nov 2009 

 
World leaders will gather in Rome for FAO's hunger summit. Over 60 heads of State and Government are planning to attend .

The World Summit on Food Security is set to open on Monday 16 November to give a new momentum to the fight against hunger and malnutrition affecting 1.02 billion people.

Pope Benedict XVI will deliver a keynote speech while UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf will also address the Summit.

FAO has convened the Summit in a bid to marshal political will behind increased investment in agriculture and a reinvigorated international effort to combat hunger.

Ahead of the Summit FAO has launched an online campaign, www.1billionhungry.org, calling on the general public to sign a call for eradicating hunger and has invited people to go on a "hunger strike against hunger" on 14 or 15 November to show solidarity for those who go without enough to eat every day.

The Director-General himself will be going on a 24-hour hunger strike from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Participants may limit their hunger strike to any period they deem appropriate.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has announced that he will join in the worldwide fast over the weekend called for by Director-General Jacques Diouf.

More details on FAO site.