UN Economic Council To Meet On Growing Food Crisis

UN Economic and Social Council to hold meeting on emerging food crisis

16 April 2008 - The President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has announced plans to hold a meeting of the Council early next month to discuss how to respond to the growing food crisis around the world.

Ambassador Léo Mérorès of Haiti, the current ECOSOC President, made the decision after consultations with the Bureau of the Council and with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

Earlier this week, Mr. Ban told a joint meeting of ECOSOC, the Bretton Woods financial institutions, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) that it was time for both short- and long-term measures to deal with the rising cost of basic foods.

"The rapidly escalating crisis of food availability around the world has reached emergency proportions," he said.

Public protests and tensions have already broken out in many countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Senegal, Morocco and Haiti, because of the surging cost of living.

ENDS

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