Andrew Johnston of AFA-S.Africa Report from Committee on World Food Security

World Forum of Fisher Peoples Members,

REPORT OF ROME MEETING

Representatives of Social Organizations on the Mechanism of Civil Society Organizations of the Committee on World Food Security was attended by delegates from twelve countries, Action Aid and the Governance Working Group of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty.. The agenda brief was to the process and proposals for an International Food Security and Nutrition Civil Society Mechanism for relations with the Committee on World Food Security {U.N}.
For the first time in the history of the U.N. system representatives of the small-scale food producers and other civil society organizations along with private sector, BINGOS {Big International Non-Governmental Organizations} and other stakeholders will be full participants and not just observers of the intergovernmental process.Civil society will be a formal participants in the new Committee on World Food Security even in the annual global meeting, although voting rights will continue to be reserved for member governments, -civil society and non-governmental organizations and their networks will be "non-voting participants". This means that we will have the right to intervene in plenary and breakout discussions to contribute to the preparation of meeting documents and agendas and to represent documents and proposals. The opening of this space should increase social participation in International policy making, contributing hopefully to more effective food security and nutrition strategies. This Committee on Food Security will no be limited to a single global session each year. It is foreseen that a series of on going activities will now take place between one season and another linking national, regional and global levels in which Civil Society Organizations will have an important role to play.In order to play its part in this new international institutional framework it is foreseen that civil society will build its own autonomous mechanism for participation in CFS activities, discussion, negotiations and decision-making. It was acknowledged that the Civil Society Mechanism may not function perfectly during the first year of operation 2010/2011, however ever effort will be made to ensure that processes to select members to the COORDINATION COMMITTEE, members of the CFS Advisory Group that this will include the broadest range of civil society actors and are as inclusive and as transparent as possible. Recognizing the challenges of establishing a global CSM of this nature, focal points will be selected to CSM and CFS roles for an initial period of one year. An evaluation of the CSM will be held in OCTOBER 2011 and improvements made to its functioning, including the composition of the CC in terms of regional, gender and constituency balance. Subsequently post holders will be selected for a 2 year period in line with the procedures of the CFS itself.

"Civil society organizations/NGOs and their networks will be invited to autonomously establish a global mechanism for food security and nutrition which will function as a facilitating body for CSO/NGOs consultation and participation in the CFS. Such mechanisms will also serve inter-sessional global, regional, and national actions in which organizations of those sectors of the population most affected by food insecurity, would be accorded priority representation. Civil society organizations/ NGOs will submit to the CFS Bureau a proposal regarding how they intend to organize their participation in the CFS in a way that ensures broad and balanced participation by regions and types of organizations keeping in mind the principles approved by the CFS at its 34th Session in October 2008."

The eleven constituencies identified are the following;

Smallholder family farmers
Artisanal Fisherfolk
Herders/Pastoralists
Landless Peoples
Urban poor
Agricultural and food workers.
Women
Youth
Consumers
Indigenous Peoples
NGOs

CC {Co-ordinating Committee} is responsible for ensuring that the functions of the CSM {Civil Society Mechanism} are carried out as effectively as possible and according to the organizing principles. This body will be established, composed of constituency and sub-regional focal points as follows - proposed to try for 6, [originally mooted as 4] from smallholder family farmer/fishers and two from each of the other constituencies mentioned above and 1 focal point from each sub-region as suggested

North America
Central America and Caribbean
Andean Region
Southern Cone
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
West Asia
South Asia
South-East Asia
Central Asia
Oceania and Pacific
Southern Africa
West Africa
East Africa
Central Africa
North Africa.

I was at loss to the agenda of the meeting as I was mandated to fight for our participation and integration at FAO, only to find that it was already accepted as such. The rules and regulation document was not sent to me which put me at a great disadvantage and the question is why were we not informed previously and to why did WFFP not give written input to this document and who has possession of it? The meeting was of a very good nature and well run and very enlighten, it was felt although the new CFS will not address all the solutions to the problems, we need to be involved and fight to get our members on the new committees and begin to now lobby our government as never before. Regional nominations for the organizations to attend Rome C.C. and the November Forum has to forwarded as soon as possible. There is at this moment finance for approximately one hundred delegates but they are hoping to receive funding later for more to attend, but this will be of a late arrangement. Once nominated for the C.C. for the October meet it cannot be changed under any circumstances as one of their mandate is to organize the November Forum. One should not expect much from the October meeting as to policy as governments will attempt to again dominate decision-making. Note for this meet civil society will electe through regional groups - so please WFFP should organize their delegates accordingly. I had come to an arrangement with Margaret of WFFF that they will send the woman delegate as to the 50/50 gender balance and we the other for our international fishing organizations. Also from the South African Region we [Margaret [Uganda] Renaldo [Mozambique], Myself. {South Africa} will receive he nominations and filter the three constituencies - Landless, Women, Farm workers that will be allowed to attend the October meet in Rome.
I am hoping that on the 14th when the debate on food sovereignity takes place at the Riverside club starting at 9.00am I will be able to identify the organizations then.

Andrew Johnston
WFFP delegate