Philippines: UN rights expert to assess food and nutrition security challenges

GENEVA (18 February 2015) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver, will undertake an official visit to the Philippines from 20 to 27 February 2015 to gather first-hand information on the realization of the right to food in the country.  She will assess the efforts being made to achieve food and nutrition security and the obstacles faced both at the national and international level in this regard.

“Despite encouraging development progress made in recent years, access to sufficient and nutritious food is still reportedly limited by poverty and income levels, with the devastating impact of typhoon Haiyan placing already vulnerable communities in a precarious situation,” Ms. Elver noted.

This is the first visit to the country by an independent expert on the right to food assigned by the UN Human Rights Council to report on initiatives to ensure the full realization of the right to food.

Ms. Elver, who visits the country at the invitation of the Government, will engage with the authorities to identify the main obstacles hindering the full realization of the right to food and propose strategies for tackling these obstacles and improving the enjoyment of rights by the most vulnerable in society.

During her seven-day visit, the rights expert will meet with senior Government officials, as well as representatives from the UN system, international agencies, the development community, civil society, the National Commission on Human Rights and individual communities in various locations throughout the country. 

Ms. Elver will hold a press conference to share the preliminary findings of her visit at 12:00 p.m. on Friday 27 February 2015, at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Glorietta, Makati City, Manila. Access to the press conference will be strictly limited to journalists.

The Special Rapporteur’s observations and recommendations will be reflected in her final report, which will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2016

Hilal Elver (Turkey) was appointed Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food by the  Human Rights Council in 2014. She is a Research Professor, and co-director of the Project on Global Climate Change, Human Security, and Democracy housed at the Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has a law degree, a Ph.D. from the University of Ankara Law School, and SJD from the UCLA Law School. She started her teaching career at the University of Ankara Faculty of Law. Learn more: http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-food

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

OHCHR Country Page – Philippines: http://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/philippines

For more information and press inquiries, please contact:
Teresa Debuque (Manila): + (632) 3367720 to 22 / debuque@un.org
Orlagh McCann (Geneva): +41 22 917 9215 (before and after the visit) /
+41 79 201 0119.  (mobile number in the Philippines) / srfood@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)  

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