A/RES/73/253 GA

United Nations A/RES/73/253 General Assembly Distr.: General 18 January 2019 18-22634 (E) 230119 *1822634* Seventy-third session Agenda item 26 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 2018 [on the report of the Second Committee (A/73/544)] 73/253. Agriculture development, food security and nutrition The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 65/178 of 20 December 2010, 66/220 of 22 December 2011, 67/228 of 21 December 2012, 68/233 of 20 December 2013, 69/240 of 19 December 2014, 70/223 of 22 December 2015, 71/245 of 21 December 2016 and 72/238 of 20 December 2017, Recalling also the Declaration of the World Summit on Food Security, 1 particularly the Five Rome Principles for Sustainable Global Food Security, and noting the Rome Declaration on Nutrition,2 as well as the Framework for Action,3 which provides a set of voluntary policy options and strategies for use by Governments, as appropriate, adopted at the Second International Conference on Nutrition, held in Rome from 19 to 21 November 2014, Recalling further the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 4 Agenda 21, 5 the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, 6 the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development7 and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation), 8 the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on __________________ 1 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, document WSFS 2009/2. 2 World Health Organization, document EB 136/8, annex I. 3 Ibid., annex II. 4 Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3−14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex I. 5 Ibid., annex II. 6 Resolution S-19/2, annex. 7 Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August–4 September 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II.A.1 and corrigendum), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. 8 Ibid., resolution 2, annex. A/RES/73/253 Agriculture development, food security and nutrition 18-22634 2/13 Financing for Development, 9 the 2005 World Summit Outcome, 10 the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: outcome document of the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus,11 the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020, 12 the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024 13 and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway,14 Recalling the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 20 to 22 June 2012, entitled “The future we want”,15 Reaffirming its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which it adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, its commitment to working tirelessly for the full implementation of the Agenda by 2030, its recognition that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, its commitment to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions — economic, social and environmental — in a balanced and integrated manner, and to building upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seeking to address their unfinished business, Reaffirming also its resolution 69/313 of 27 July 2015 on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, supports and complements it, helps to contextualize its means of implementation targets with concrete policies and actions, and reaffirms the strong political commitment to address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and solidarity, Welcoming the Paris Agreement, 16 and encouraging all its parties to fully implement the Agreement and parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 17 that have not yet done so to deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, where appropriate, as soon as possible, Highlighting the synergies between the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, and noting with concern the scientific findings contained in the special report entitled Global Warming of 1.5°C of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Looking forward to the climate summit called for by the Secretary-General, to be held in New York in 2019, to accelerate global action on climate change, __________________ 9 Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 18−22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. 10 Resolution 60/1. 11 Resolution 63/239, annex. 12 Report of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, Istanbul, Turkey, 9–13 May 2011 (A/CONF.219/7), chap. II. 13 Resolution 69/137, annex II. 14 Resolution 69/15, annex. 15 Resolution 66/288, annex. 16 Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21. 17 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822. Agriculture development, food security and nutrition A/RES/73/253 3/13 18-22634 Reaffirming the New Urban Agenda, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), held in Quito from 17 to 20 October 2016, 18 and reaffirming also the importance of promoting the integration of food security and the nutritional needs of urban residents, particularly the urban poor, in urban and territorial planning, in order to end hunger and malnutrition, as well as promoting coordination of sustainable food security and agriculture policies across urban, peri-urban and rural areas, Reaffirming also the importance of supporting Agenda 2063 of the African Union, as well as its 10-year plan of action, as a strategic framework for ensuring a positive socioeconomic transformation in Africa within the next 50 years and its continental programme embedded in the resolutions of the General Assembly on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and regional initiatives, such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, Reaffirming further its resolutions 71/243 of 21 December 2016 and 72/279 of 31 May 2018, and welcoming the efforts of the Secretary-General to better position the United Nations operational activities for development to support countries in their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda, and in particular to enhance coordination and urgency in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2, Recalling the political declaration of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases19 and the outcome document of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the comprehensive review and assessment of the progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases,20 welcoming the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, held in New York on 27 September 2018, and its political declaration entitled “Time to deliver: accelerating our response to address non-communicable diseases for the health and well-being of present and future generations” adopted by the Assembly in its resolution 73/2 of 10 October 2018 as a renewal of the commitment to tackle non-communicable diseases, and underscoring the need to make progress on the agreed commitments, Welcoming the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the fight against tuberculosis, held in New York on 26 September 2018, and the commitment in its political declaration21 to the multisectoral action required to address the social and economic factors driving the worldwide tuberculosis epidemic, Recalling the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on antimicrobial resistance, held in New York on 21 September 2016, and its political declaration, as set out in resolution 71/3 of 5 October 2016, in which the Assembly reaffirmed the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance, 22 developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with, and subsequently adopted by, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Organization for Animal Health, Recalling also the action plan on antimicrobial resistance 2016–2020 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which supports the food and agriculture sectors in implementing the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with, and __________________ 18 Resolution 71/256, annex. 19 Resolution 66/2, annex. 20 Resolution 68/300. 21 Resolution 73/3. 22 World Health Organization, document WHA68/2015/REC/1, annex 3. A/RES/73/253 Agriculture development, food security and nutrition 18-22634 4/13 subsequently adopted by, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Organization for Animal Health, Expressing concern that the current pace and scope of implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 2 is unlikely to promote the transformational change needed and that its targets will not be achieved in many parts of the world, and calling for additional efforts to support the transformational change needed, Expressing concern also that the multiple and complex causes of the food crises that occur in different regions of the world, affecting developing countries, especially net food importers, and their consequences for food security and nutrition require a comprehensive and coordinated response in the short, medium and long term by national Governments, civil society, the private sector and the international community, reiterating that the root causes of food insecurity and malnutrition are poverty, growing inequality, inequity and lack of access to resources and income- earning opportunities, the effects of climate change and disasters, and conflicts, and remaining concerned that excessively volatile food prices can pose a serious challenge to the fight against poverty and hunger and to the efforts of developing countries to attain food security and improved nutrition and to achieve internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to ending hunger and malnutrition, Recalling the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, 23 acknowledging that forests provide essential ecosystem services, such as timber, food, fuel, fodder, non-wood products and shelter, as well as soil and water conservation and clean air, that sustainable management of forests and trees outside forests is vital to the integrated implementation of the 2030 Agenda and that forests prevent land degradation and desertification and reduce the risks of floods, landslides and avalanches, droughts, dust and sand storms and other disasters, and stressing in this regard the role of all types of forests, including boreal, temperate and tropical forests, in providing food security, Noting the engagement of the Committee on World Food Security in advancing country-led implementation of the 2030 Agenda, Welcoming the outcome of the forty-fifth session of the Committee on World Food Security, held in Rome from 15 to 19 October 2018, taking note of its main outcomes, such as the launch of an inclusive process leading to the development of Committee on Food Security voluntary guidelines on food systems and nutrition, in support of the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025), recalling the endorsement by the Committee in 2014 of the voluntary Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems 24 and the Committee’s Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, 25 and taking note of the adoption of the policy recommendations on connecting smallholders to markets and on sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition, including the role of livestock, Taking note of the launch of the Sustainable Food Systems Programme under the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns,26 an inclusive initiative to accelerate the shift towards more sustainable food systems, __________________ 23 See resolution 71/285. 24 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, document C 2015/20, appendix D. 25 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, document CL 144/9 (C 2013/20), appendix D. 26 A/CONF.216/5, annex. Agriculture development, food security and nutrition A/RES/73/253 5/13 18-22634 Recalling the operationalization of the Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries, which is helping the least developed countries to strengthen their science, technology and innovation capacities and fostering the development of national and regional innovation ecosystems, as well as developing capacities for partnerships in science, technology and innovation collaboration with other countries worldwide, Noting with appreciation the work undertaken by relevant international bodies and organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), on agricultural development and on enhancing food security and food safety and improving nutrition outcomes, Recalling the declaration of 2016–2025 as the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, based on the Rome Declaration on Nutrition and the Framework for Action, and the call upon the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization to implement a work programme for 2016–2025, taking into account contributions from relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, using coordinating mechanisms such as the Standing Committee on Nutrition and multi-stakeholder platforms such as the Committee on World Food Security, Welcoming the adoption of its resolution 72/239 of 20 December 2017, in which it proclaimed 2019–2028 the United Nations Decade of Family Farming, which raised the profile of the role of family farming in contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and to the achievement of food security and improved nutrition, Reaffirming that agriculture remains a fundamental and key sector for developing countries, and noting the importance of working towards eliminating all forms of protectionism, Acknowledging the importance of promoting sustainable farming and agriculture, which will contribute to sustainable food production systems and the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems and help to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, Bearing in mind that the agriculture sector depends heavily on biodiversity and its components, as well as on the ecosystem functions and services which biodiversity underpins, and that these sectors also have an impact on biodiversity in various direct and indirect ways, as acknowledged in the Cancun Declaration on Mainstreaming the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity for Well-being,27 Reaffirming the right of everyone to have access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, so as to be able to fully develop and maintain their physical and mental capacities, and underlining the need to make special efforts to meet nutritional needs, especially of women, children, older persons, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities, as well as of those living in vulnerable situations, Taking note with appreciation of the publications entitled The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018: Building Climate Resilience for Food Security and Nutrition, issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund, __________________ 27 United Nations Environment Programme, document UNEP/CBD/COP/13/24. A/RES/73/253 Agriculture development, food security and nutrition 18-22634 6/13 and The State of Food and Agriculture 2018: Migration, Agriculture and Rural Development, issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Remaining deeply concerned that, according to the most recent estimates of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund, the number of chronically undernourished people in the world increased to nearly 821 million in 2017, from around 804 million in 2016, and that global nutrition challenges are increasingly complex as multiple forms of malnutrition, including stunting, wasting, underweight, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity, may coexist within the same country or household, Recognizing that economic slowdown, gender inequalities, conflict, drought and the adverse effects of climate change, including more frequent and extreme weather events, are among the key factors contributing to a reversal in the long-term progress in fighting global hunger, making the prospect of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030 more difficult, Remaining deeply concerned about the continuing food insecurity and malnutrition being faced by hundreds of millions of people, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa and in South and West Asia, Recognizing the need to prevent the recurrence in the future of deaths of people from famine, Expressing its concern about the growing number of obese adults in the world, from 563.7 million in 2012 to 672.3 million in 2016, Expressing its concern also that, according to the Global Report on Food Crises 2018, the number of people facing crisis-level food insecurity or worse has increased dramatically, up from almost 108 million in 2016 to 124 million in 2017 in countries affected by, inter alia, conflict and exacerbated by climate-related events, environmental factors, including natural disasters, and excessive food price volatility, Noting that an increasing number of countries, in particular in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific, are integrating food security and nutrition into their agriculture policies and investment plans and that, as a result, eradicating hunger, improving food security and ensuring adequate nutrition are being given greater prominence in regional development strategies, such as the African Union Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations food security and nutrition strategy, the Piura Declaration on Food Security, the Framework for Multi-Year Programme on Food Security and Climate Change and the Strategic Framework on Rural-Urban Development to Strengthen Food Security and Quality Growth, adopted by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Hunger-Free Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 Initiative, the strategy on food security and nutrition of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries and the Arab food security initiative, all of which emphasized the importance of investing in agriculture, diversifying food production and diets and providing quality nutritional education to consumers, introducing labour-saving technologies in food production and processing, enhancing women’s access to income and strengthening capacity-building in improving food safety at all stages of the food chain, and noting also the establishment of the Islamic Organization for Food Security, headquartered in Astana, Reiterating the urgent need for action to address the adverse effects of climate change on food security, in particular for women, youth, older persons and persons Agriculture development, food security and nutrition A/RES/73/253 7/13 18-22634 with disabilities, as well as the other root causes of food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition, Expressing concern that climate change will disproportionately impact the most vulnerable people, especially women and children, and their livelihoods, ultimately putting hundreds of millions of people at risk, and that by 2050, the risk of hunger and child malnutrition could increase by up to 20 per cent owing to climate change, Reiterating the importance of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as well as the recognition and protection of the rights of small-holders, particularly women, reiterating also the importance, inter alia, of empowering rural women, youth, small-scale farmers, family farmers and livestock farmers, fishers and fish workers as critical agents for enhancing agricultural and rural development and food security and for improving nutrition outcomes, and acknowledging their fundamental contribution to the environmental sustainability and the genetic preservation of agricultural systems and to sustaining productivity on often marginal lands, Recognizing that livestock contributes 40 per cent of the global value of agricultural output and supports the livelihoods and food security of almost 1.3 billion people, and in this regard acknowledging that the sector offers opportunities for sustainable agricultural development, poverty eradication and food security gains, and offers an opportunity for raising climate awareness, Acknowledging that social protection programmes and measures are effective in reducing poverty and hunger, Recognizing the importance of initiatives under the United Nations system, including the observance of World Pulses Day, World Tuna Day, Sustainable Gastronomy Day, World Bee Day, World Food Safety Day, World Soil Day, the International Year of Camelids, the International Year of Plant Health, the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028, and the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (2019–2028), aimed at increasing public awareness of relevant agriculture, food security and nutritional benefits, in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 53/199 of 15 December 1998 and 61/185 of 20 December 2006 on the proclamation of international years and Economic and Social Council resolution 1980/67 of 25 July 1980 on international years and anniversaries, Recognizing also the need to increase responsible public and private investment in the agriculture sector, inter alia, to find inclusive solutions to and fight hunger and malnutrition and to promote rural and urban sustainable development, Recalling the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 and its guiding principles, 28 and recalling also its promotion of regular disaster preparedness, response and recovery exercises, at the national and local levels, with a view to ensuring rapid and effective response to disasters and related displacement, including access to essential food and non-food relief supplies, as appropriate to local needs, Noting the Committee on World Food Security Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises, the Committee’s policy recommendations on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition and its policy recommendations on food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems, Recalling that the Sustainable Development Goals and targets are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development, and __________________ 28 Resolution 69/283, annex II. A/RES/73/253 Agriculture development, food security and nutrition 18-22634 8/13 acknowledging that reaching Goal 2 and the interlinked targets of other Goals will be critical, inter alia, in ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition, Reiterating the pledge that no one will be left behind, reaffirming the recognition that the dignity of the human person is fundamental, and the wish to see the Goals and targets met for all nations and peoples and for all segments of society, and recommitting to endeavour to reach the furthest behind first, Recommitting to ensuring that no country or person is left behind and to focusing our effort where the challenges are greatest, including by ensuring the inclusion and participation of those who are furthest behind, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;29 2. Stresses the importance of continued consideration of the issue of agriculture development, food security and nutrition, and encourages Member States and relevant stakeholders to give due consideration to this issue while implementing the internationally agreed development goals, in particular the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development30 and its Sustainable Development Goals; 3. Emphasizes that sustainable agricultural production, food security, food safety and nutrition are key elements for the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions, and calls for greater efforts to sustainably enhance the agricultural production capacities, productivity and food security of developing countries; 4. Also emphasizes the need to accelerate and scale up action, as appropriate, to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of food systems and people’s livelihoods in response to climate variability and extremes, to achieve a world without hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030; 5. Expresses concern that the world is not on track to eradicate hunger and malnutrition by 2030 and that scarce and unsustainably managed natural resources, combined with insecure and uneven tenure rights for smallholders, are severely affecting those in vulnerable situations in rural areas, that climate change, including the adverse impact of sea level rise, drought, desertification and conflict and post-conflict situations are challenges with regard to food security and nutrition and diet-related non-communicable diseases in many places, preventing progress in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and that countries in protracted crises are at risk of being left behind; 6. Stresses that urgent and concerted action is needed at all levels to recover momentum and accelerate efforts to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition, comprehensively tackling both its causes and effects, and to promote improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture and food systems; 7. Reiterates the importance of developing countries determining their own food security strategies, that improving food security and nutrition is a global challenge and a national policy responsibility and that any plans for addressing this challenge in the context of eradicating poverty must be nationally articulated, designed, owned, led and built in consultation, as an inclusive process, with all key stakeholders at the national level, as appropriate, and urges Member States, especially those affected, to make food security, food safety and nutrition a high priority and to reflect this in their national programmes and budgets; 8. Calls upon the international community to continue its support for the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme __________________ 29 A/73/293. 30 Resolution 70/1. Agriculture development, food security and nutrition A/RES/73/253 9/13 18-22634 and its results framework, which is an integral component of the Programme that provides guidance on planning and implementing investment programmes; 9. Encourages Member States, in designing their national policies, to fully take into account the Rome Declaration on Nutrition2 as well as the Framework for Action,3 which provides a set of voluntary policy options and strategies for the use of Governments, as appropriate; 10. Urges increased political commitment by Member States to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition, notes in this regard the Scaling Up Nutrition movement, and encourages Member States to engage in the movement at the global and country levels to reduce the increasing level in global hunger and all forms of malnutrition, in particular among children, especially children under the age of 2, women, especially those who are pregnant and lactating, and youth; 11. Underscores the need to address child stunting, which remains unacceptably high, with nearly 151 million children under 5 years of age, or over 22 per cent, affected by stunting in 2017; 12. Emphasizes the six global nutrition targets set by the World Health Assembly to address global malnutrition and the related monitoring framework; 13. Takes note of the Global Nutrition for Growth Compact, signed by more than 100 countries, companies and civil society organizations, to reduce the number of stunted children by 20 million by 2020 and the financial commitments made to support this goal, as well as the third Nutrition for Growth summit, held in Milan, Italy, in November 2017; 14. Stresses the need to increase sustainable agricultural production and productivity globally, noting the diversity of agricultural conditions and systems, including by improving and aiming to ensure the functioning of markets and trading systems and strengthening international cooperation, particularly for developing countries, and by increasing responsible public and private investment in sustainable agriculture, land management and rural development, as well as collaboration in science, technology and innovation, and notes that the benefit of such public and private investment and engagement should also reach, where appropriate, local smallholders in appropriate knowledge management systems and communications systems with regard to promoting food security, improving nutrition outcomes and reducing inequality; 15. Recognizes the need to increase the resilience and sustainability of food and agricultural production with regard to climate change in the context of the rising demand for crops, bearing in mind the importance of safeguarding food security and ending hunger and the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems to the adverse impacts of climate change, and encourages efforts at all levels to support climate-sensitive agricultural practices, including agroforestry, agroecology, conservation agriculture, water management schemes, drought-and flood-resistant seeds and sustainable livestock management, and to establish and strengthen interfaces between scientists, decision makers, entrepreneurs and funders of science, technology and innovation, as well as measures to strengthen the resilience of those in vulnerable situations and of food systems, which can also have a wider positive impact, emphasizing adaptation to climate change as a major concern and objective for all farmers and food producers, especially small-scale producers; 16. Reaffirms the need to promote, enhance and support more sustainable agriculture, including crops, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, that improves food security, eradicates hunger, helps to prevent malnutrition and is economically viable, while conserving land, water, plant and animal genetic resources, biodiversity and ecosystems and enhancing resilience to climate change and natural disasters, and A/RES/73/253 Agriculture development, food security and nutrition 18-22634 10/13 recognizes the need to maintain natural ecological processes that support sustainable and efficient food production systems and ensure food security, underlines the importance of mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the agriculture sector, and takes note of the importance of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems and the Biodiversity Mainstreaming Platform promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 17. Expresses concern about antimicrobial resistance, in particular in the agricultural sector, and in this regard encourages the implementation of the action plan on antimicrobial resistance 2016–2020 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which supports the food and agriculture sectors in implementing the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance22 developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with, and subsequently adopted by, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Organization for Animal Health, in order to minimize the impact of antimicrobial resistance; 18. Recognizes that sustainable food systems have a fundamental role to play in promoting healthy diets and improving nutrition and preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases, and welcomes the formulation and implementation of internationally consistent national policies aimed at eradicating malnutrition in all its forms and transforming food systems so as to make nutritious diets available to all, while reaffirming that health, water and sanitation systems must be strengthened simultaneously to end malnutrition; 19. Calls for closing the gender gap in access to productive resources in agriculture, noting with concern that the gender gap persists with respect to many assets, inputs and services, and stresses the need to invest in and strengthen efforts to empower women, in particular rural women, to address their own food and nutritional needs and those of their families, to promote adequate standards of living for them, as well as decent conditions of work, and to guarantee their personal health, well- being and security, full access to land and natural resources and access to local, regional and global markets; 20. Recognizes the critical role and contribution of rural women, including smallholders and women farmers, and indigenous women and women in local communities, and their traditional knowledge in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty, and in this regard stresses the importance of reviewing agricultural policies and strategies to ensure that the critical role of women in food security and nutrition is recognized and addressed as an integral part of both short- and long-term responses to food insecurity, malnutrition, potential excessive price volatility and food crises in developing countries, as well as of the recognition and protection of the rights of smallholders, in particular women; 21. Reaffirms the crucial role of healthy marine ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture in enhancing food security and access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food and in providing for the livelihoods of millions of people, particularly inhabitants of small island developing States, and in this regard encourages the full implementation of the Global Action Programme on Food Security and Nutrition in Small Island Developing States, which was launched on 4 July 2017; 22. Encourages and recognizes the efforts at all levels to establish and strengthen social protection measures and programmes, including national safety nets and protection programmes for the needy and vulnerable, such as food and cash-for- work, cash transfer and voucher programmes, school feeding programmes and mother-and-child nutrition programmes, and in this regard underlines the importance of increasing investment, capacity-building and systems development; Agriculture development, food security and nutrition A/RES/73/253 11/13 18-22634 23. Remains deeply concerned about the recurring food insecurity and malnutrition in different regions of the world and their ongoing negative impact on health and nutrition, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, and in this regard underlines the urgent need for joint efforts at all levels to respond to the situation in a coherent and effective manner; 24. Recognizes the important role of indigenous peoples and local communities, small-scale farmers, family farmers, livestock farmers, small-scale fishers and fish workers and their traditional knowledge and seed supply systems, as well the important role of new technologies in the conservation of biodiversity and in aiming to ensure food security and improved nutrition; 25. Stresses the importance of the application of science, technology and innovation and related knowledge management and communications systems in ensuring food security by 2030, and encourages the adoption of the most advanced and appropriate information technology, such as the Internet, mobile platforms, meteorology, big data and cloud computing, in agriculture systems in order to support the efforts of smallholder and family farmers to increase their resilience, productivity and incomes and include them in the development of research and innovation agendas; 26. Emphasizes the need to revitalize the agriculture sector, promote rural development and aim for ensuring food security and nutrition, notably in developing countries, in a sustainable manner, which will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and underlines the importance of taking the necessary actions to better address the needs of rural communities by, inter alia, enhancing access for agricultural producers, in particular small producers, women, youth, indigenous peoples and local communities, persons with disabilities and older persons, in conflict and post-conflict situations, to credit and other financial services, markets, secure land tenure, health-care services, social services, education, training, knowledge and appropriate and affordable technologies, including for development of local crops, efficient irrigation, reuse of treated wastewater and water harvesting and storage; 27. Recognizes that, by 2050, the world urban population is expected to nearly double, making urbanization one of the most transformative trends of the twenty-first century, underscoring the growing need to take action to fight hunger and malnutrition among the urban poor through promoting the integration of the food security and nutrition needs of urban residents, in particular the urban poor, in urban and territorial planning, to end hunger and malnutrition, promoting the coordination of sustainable food security and agriculture policies across urban, peri-urban and rural areas to facilitate the production, storage, transport and marketing of food to consumers in adequate and affordable ways, to reduce food losses and to prevent and reuse food waste, and promoting the coordination of food policies with energy, water, health, transport and waste and other policies in urban areas to maximize efficiencies and minimize waste; 28. Reaffirms the need to strive for a comprehensive twin-track approach to food security and nutrition that consists of direct action to immediately tackle hunger for the most vulnerable and medium- and long-term sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition and rural development programmes to eliminate the root causes of hunger and poverty, including through the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security; 29. Also reaffirms the need to promote a significant expansion of research on food, nutrition and agriculture, extension services, training and education, and of funding for such research from all sources, to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability in order to strengthen agriculture as a key sector, to promote development and to build up resilience to support better recovery from crisis, A/RES/73/253 Agriculture development, food security and nutrition 18-22634 12/13 including by strengthening the work of the reformed Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research so as to enhance its development impact, supporting national research systems, public universities and research institutions and promoting technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, the voluntary sharing of knowledge and practices and research to adapt to climate change and improve equitable access to research results and technologies on mutually agreed terms at the national, regional and international levels, while giving due consideration to the preservation of genetic resources; 30. Stresses that a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable, multilateral trading system will promote agriculture and rural development in developing countries and contribute to world food security and nutrition, and urges national, regional and international strategies to promote the inclusive participation of farmers and fishers and fish workers, especially small-scale farmers, including women, in community, national, regional and international markets; 31. Recognizes the efforts made by Member States and United Nations agencies that have already announced their commitments to the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025), and encourages all relevant stakeholders to actively support the implementation of the Decade, including by making commitments and establishing action networks; 32. Looks forward to the upcoming commencement of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (2019–2028), and in this regard encourages the full implementation of resolution 72/239, which supports the development, improvement and implementation of public policies on family farming; 33. Stresses the need to continue to strengthen cooperation and coordination among the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the regional commissions and all other relevant entities of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions and international trade and economic institutions, including with the support of the Secretary-General’s High-level Task Force on Global Food and Nutrition Security in accordance with their respective mandates, in order to increase their effectiveness, as well as to strengthen cooperation between these organizations and with non-governmental organizations and the public and private sectors in promoting and strengthening efforts towards sustainable agriculture development, food security and nutrition; 34. Notes the International Fund for Agricultural Development initiative of organizing the first International Conference on South-South and Triangular Cooperation, on the theme “Leveraging Innovations from the Global South to Support Rural Transformation”, held in Brasilia on 20 and 21 November 2017; 35. Looks forward to the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, to be held in Buenos Aires from 20 to 22 March 2019; 36. Recognizes the contribution made thus far by early warning systems, and underlines that the reliability and timeliness of such systems should be further strengthened at the national, regional and international levels, with a focus on countries that are particularly vulnerable to price shocks and food emergencies; 37. Reaffirms the important role and inclusive nature of the Committee on World Food Security as a major intergovernmental platform for a broad range of stakeholders to work together towards ensuring food security and nutrition for all, and notes the three main functions of policy convergence, lesson-sharing and progress review that the Committee performs in support of the integrated implementation of Agriculture development, food security and nutrition A/RES/73/253 13/13 18-22634 the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to ending hunger and malnutrition; 38. Encourages countries to give due consideration to the dissemination, promotion and implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security,25 as well as the voluntary Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems,24 as endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security in 2012 and 2014, respectively; 39. Also encourages countries to fully engage in the ongoing development of the Committee on Food Security voluntary guidelines on food systems and nutrition supporting the transformation towards more sustainable food systems that safeguard the health and nutrition of populations; 40. Further encourages countries to give due consideration to the dissemination, promotion and implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security, adopted by the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2004,31 as well as the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030 adopted by the General Assembly in 2017;23 41. Calls upon the relevant organizations of the United Nations system, within their respective mandates and resources, to ensure that no one is left behind, and no country is left behind in the implementation of the present resolution; 42. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution, and decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-fourth session the item entitled “Agriculture development, food security and nutrition”, unless otherwise agreed. 62nd plenary meeting 20 December 2018 __________________ 31 E/CN.4/2005/131, annex.

UN Project. “A/RES/73/253.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-73-253/. Accessed .

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