Regional Dialogue: The Role of SSTC in Accelerating Progress towards Zero Hunger, No Poverty and Reduced Inequalities in Africa, 25 January 2022

Introduction:

Africa is not on track to eliminate poverty and attain zero hunger (Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2). The number of people going hungry in sub-Saharan Africa has risen to 234.7 million (FAO, 2021). This worsening food insecurity has been compounded by the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. If Africa is to accelerate its progress towards the achievement of SDGs 1 and 2, then the transformation of food systems will have to be prioritized to ensure access to affordable and healthy diets for all.

Essential interventions in this regard include research and extension to improve yields, sustainable intensification of production, scaling up the adoption of modern technologies and empower women’s empowerment. New and innovative ways of working together and adopting creative approaches are also necessary. South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)1 has a key contributory role to play in the diffusion and scaling up of innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive food systems transformation.

SSTC has been recognized internationally as a key delivery mechanism for catalyzing agricultural development, food security, rural development, poverty reduction and nutrition. Innovation in the global South is generating new tools and partnerships for tackling issues of food insecurity, poverty reduction and sustainable agriculture, with a huge potential to be shared, adapted and adopted. SSTC is therefore playing a greater than ever role in development cooperation, with its demand at an all-time high.

Objectives of the Regional Dialogue:

The overall objective is to bring together national governments, the Rome-based Agencies, development partners and other stakeholders to discuss the good practices, success stories, challenges and the way forward for SSTC in the region. The following are expected in particular:

• Raise awareness among stakeholders and partners on key results achieved at the country level;
• Provide recommendations for better institutionalizing and sustaining the impacts of SSTC at the country level;
• Provide avenues for enhanced collaboration among UN agencies.

Format of the Regional Dialogue:

The meeting will be composed of short panel discussions. Participants will be actively encouraged to bring in their contributions using the Chat function of Zoom. Other interactive online tools will be explored to allow participants to share their inputs to the discussions. The Regional Dialogue will be hosted by FAO and held virtually on Zoom from 10:00 – 13:30 GMT. The language will be English, with simultaneous interpretation into French. Participation in the meeting is open to all.