Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in his opening speech at the summit conference to combat the scourge of hunger, called for serious actions to reduce the extent and scope of hunger in the world. Officials from 182 countries began their four-day international conference in Rome, the capital of Italy, to revive efforts in the fight against hunger worldwide. Kofi Annan urged that farmers' access to arable land, agricultural credits, product markets, and the necessary technology for farmers be facilitated further. It is expected that by the end of the Rome conference on Thursday, countries will commit to fulfilling the promises made six years ago at the first summit on combating hunger. In 1996, world leaders pledged to reduce the number of hungry people from 800 million to 700 million by the year 2015. However, officials state that since then, the number of hungry people has practically remained unchanged.
Kofi Annan Calls for Serious Actions to Reduce Hunger in the World - 2002-06-10
Kofi Annan emphasized the need for urgent actions to tackle global hunger during a UN summit in Rome. The conference gathered representatives from 182 countries to renew commitments made in 1996 to reduce hunger by 2015. Despite previous pledges, the number of hungry people has not decreased as promised.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Kofi Annan urged global leaders at a UN summit in Rome to take serious actions to combat hunger, emphasizing the need for better support for farmers. The conference aimed to renew commitments made in 1996 to reduce the number of hungry people worldwide.
- The number of hungry people globally has remained around 800 million since the 1996 pledge.
- The conference is a follow-up to a previous summit aimed at reducing hunger by 2015.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Hunger is a persistent global issue, with millions affected despite international pledges to reduce it. The 1996 summit set ambitious goals that have yet to be met.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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