10.07.2008, 10:04 2387

Cost of inactivity in regards to food crisis in world to be high - Ban Ki Moon

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called upon the international community to unite efforts on maintenance of food safety in the world, having warned that cost of inactivity will be very high. The tendency of increase of price of food stuffs and fuel has had the most negative influence on the poorest layers of the population, especially in Africa. The UN Secretary General said on Tuesday in Japan addressing the students of University of Hokkaido in Sapporo, the agency reports referring to the UN News Center.

Almaty. July 10. Kazakhstan Today - The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called upon the international community to unite efforts on maintenance of food safety in the world, having warned that cost of inactivity will be very high. The tendency of increase of price of food stuffs and fuel has had the most negative influence on the poorest layers of the population, especially in Africa. The UN Secretary General said on Tuesday in Japan addressing the students of University of Hokkaido in Sapporo, the agency reports referring to the UN News Center.

"We should act now, all together, responsibly, as one world community," the UN Secretary General said. He emphasized that G8 summit is an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate global leadership in resolution of food crisis that has led to expansion of scales of famine in the world.

"We are in need of obligations of the leaders of G8 states and their political will. We want them to join food partnership and take political, financial and economic steps directed at prevention of worsening of global food crisis," he said.

Ban Ki Moon emphasized that this crisis is one of three main problems that humankind has faced nowadays: crisis of change of climate and crisis in achievement of Goals of Millennium. The United Nations Secretary General informed students that he has called upon G8 leaders to increase from about 3 % up to 10 % international official aid for development of agriculture and to provide fair international trade by reduction of subsidies to farmers and elimination of other barriers to access to products from poor countries in the international markets.

The United Nations Secretary General welcomed the statement of G8 about intention to reduce emissions of hotbed gases to the atmosphere by half by 2050.

The Secretary General held bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of India and the President of South Africa on Tuesday. Ban Ki Moon also took part in G8 sessions concerning development of economy and climate change on Wednesday.

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