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Aboul Gheit to Asharq Al-Awsat: Sharm el-Sheikh Summit Opens Permanent Arab Dialogue with Europe

FILE PHOTO: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Arab League's secretary general, gestures as he speaks at the Rome Mediterranean summit MED 2018 in Rome, Italy. Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Arab League's secretary general, gestures as he speaks at the Rome Mediterranean summit MED 2018 in Rome, Italy. Reuters
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Aboul Gheit to Asharq Al-Awsat: Sharm el-Sheikh Summit Opens Permanent Arab Dialogue with Europe

FILE PHOTO: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Arab League's secretary general, gestures as he speaks at the Rome Mediterranean summit MED 2018 in Rome, Italy. Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Arab League's secretary general, gestures as he speaks at the Rome Mediterranean summit MED 2018 in Rome, Italy. Reuters

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that the first Arab-European summit held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh reflected the desire of the two sides to work together and to build bridges.
 
In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat from Sharm el-Sheikh, Aboul Gheit said the joint statement, to be issued at the end of the summit, would be brief, “but it will point to a minimum of consensus between Arabs and Europeans on political and international issues.”
 
The high-level representation at the summit “reflects the interest and desire between the Arab and European worlds in building bridges of cooperation and mutual understanding,” he affirmed.
 
The two-day summit, which kicked off on Sunday, is held under the title of “Investing in Stability.”

“The slogan of the summit is a great message on the internal and international levels, and a signal from the European side that the stability of the Arab countries is now required,” Aboul Gheit stated.
 
Asked about the Arab-European priorities to be tackled at the summit, the Arab League chief said: “Discussions will touch on all international and regional issues in order to formulate a position that supports peace and stability and maintains common interests.”
 
Among the main topics, he cited fighting terrorism and drying up its resources, ending the presence of militias, in addition to emigration and climate change.
 
On whether Yemen will get its share of political talks, he said: “Everyone is calling for the implementation of the Sweden agreement, the adoption of a political solution and the provision of humanitarian support,” underlining Arab support for the legitimate power in Yemen.
 
Aboul Gheit, however, noted that it would be difficult for the summit participants to draw a roadmap for the implementation of resolutions on Yemen, “because there is a divergence of views, for example disagreements between France and Italy; and the same applies to Syria.”
 
As for the communique to be issued at the end of the high-level meeting, he said: “The document will be very brief and was discussed by the representatives of the EU, the Arab League and Egypt, the host country.”
 
Arab-European cooperation is on track, according to the Arab League secretary-general, who also pointed to many agreements between the two sides.

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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told Asharq al-Awsat that global hunger increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the GCC countries were able to shield themselves from major shocks affecting food security.
Laborde added that global hunger affected over 152 million people, with no improvement in the past two years.
Today, 733 million people suffer from chronic hunger, and 2.3 billion face food insecurity, according to the UN annual report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”

Laborde explained that the global economic crisis has worsened food insecurity, keeping hunger levels high.
Alongside this, climate shocks and conflicts are major causes of hunger. He also pointed out that food insecurity is closely tied to inequality, and the economic crisis, rising living costs, and high interest rates are deepening existing inequalities both within and between countries.
On whether economic diversification in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is boosting food security, Laborde said: “A move towards a more diversified economy and enhancing the ability to rely on various sources of food supplies are key drivers of food security resilience and stability.”
“GCC countries have managed to shield themselves from major shocks, primarily due to their high income levels and ability to cover import costs without difficulty,” he explained.
Regarding the FAO’s outlook on reducing global hunger, Laborde insisted that ending hunger will require a significant increase in funding.
When asked for suggestions on how governments could enhance food security, Laborde said: “Despite global figures remaining stable, improvements are seen in Asia and Latin America, showing that the right policies and conditions can reduce numbers.”
“Hunger is not inevitable. Investing in social safety nets to protect the poor, along with making structural changes to food systems to be more environmentally friendly, resilient, and equitable, is the right path forward,” emphasized Laborde.
The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, published on Wednesday, said about 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 – one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa.
Hunger and food insecurity present critical challenges affecting millions globally.
The annual report, released this year during the G20 Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty Task Force ministerial meeting in Brazil, warns that the world is significantly lagging in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger by 2030.
It highlights that global progress has regressed by 15 years, with malnutrition levels comparable to those seen in 2008-2009.
Despite some progress in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, a troubling number of people still face food insecurity and malnutrition, with global hunger levels rising.