Viet Nam: UN expert launches mission to assess hunger and food insecurity

Vietnamese

GENEVA (8 November 2017) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver, will visit Viet Nam from 13 to 24 November 2017 to gather first-hand information on the country’s food situation, including the impact of climate change.

“I look forward to the opportunity to assess whether the right to food is being enjoyed by the whole population of Viet Nam,” said Ms Elver, whose mission will be the first official visit of its kind to the country.

“I intend to discuss options with the Government on how to make sure everyone is included, especially vulnerable people such as women and children in rural areas, as well as those living in crowded cities.”

The Special Rapporteur said she was aware of the significant impact of climate change on the right to food in Viet Nam, and was looking forward to the chance to assess its impact.

Ms Elver, who monitors and reports on the full realization of the right to food around the world, will also seek to offer practical policy and legal recommendations to help the country deliver adequate food to all its citizens. She will discuss with the Government how to ensure more people can enjoy the right, and how to protect the country’s valuable resources for the future.

During her 12-day mission, the Special Rapporteur will meet senior Government officials, representatives from the UN system, civil society members and communities in various locations throughout the country. 

Ms Elver will hold a press conference to share the preliminary findings of her visit at 14:00 local time on Friday 24 November 2017, at Green One UN House, 304 Kim Ma, Ha Noi. Access 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 a forthcoming session of the UN Human Rights Council.

ENDS

Ms 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 and global distinguished fellow at the University of California Los Angeles Law School (UCLA) Resnick Food Law and Policy Center. 

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.

UN Human Rights country page – Viet Nam

For inquiries and media requests, please contact:
In Viet Nam (during the visit):
Viktoria Aberg (+41 079444 3940/ vaberg@ohchr.org)
Mr Trinh Anh Tuan (+84 24 3 8500 193/trinh.anh.tuan@one.un.org)
In Geneva: Frederique Bourque (+41 22 917 9339 / fbourque@ohchr.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact:
Bryan Wilson – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9826 / mediaconsultant2@ohchr.org) 

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