The Director of the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil, Daniel Balaban, attended the inauguration ceremony for the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty Support Mechanism Office at IPEA, which took place on 3 May at the headquarters of the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) in Brasilia. The WFP is a founding member of the Alliance, which was formalised at the 2024 G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
With the aim of facilitating the management of demands and strengthening cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean, the new office will act as a strategic centre for technical coordination and international articulation focused on combating hunger and poverty. The office will also be responsible for curating the Policy Basket, a set of tested and approved public policies to combat hunger, developed collectively by Alliance members.
Daniel Balaban highlighted the impact of the office’s creation in strengthening international cooperation. “Having the new regional office of the Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty based at IPEA represents a strategic step forward for international cooperation and knowledge exchange between countries in the Global South. From this base, we will be able to expand technical coordination, connect evidence to public policies, and support governments in implementing concrete and sustainable solutions to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty.”
The event was also attended by the Minister of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Hunger Alleviation, Wellington Dias, the First Lady and Co-Chair of the Global Alliance, Janja Lula da Silva, the President of IPEA, Luciana Servo, and the Director of the Global Alliance, Renato Godinho, as well as representatives from member countries and entities.
Minister Wellington Dias explained that the support mechanism will operate with offices in Rome, Bangkok, Addis Ababa, Washington and Brasilia. ‘This global presence reinforces the Alliance’s international projection and its capacity to support countries where they need it most,’ said Dias.
For First Lady Janja Lula da Silva, ‘It is very valuable to have the Alliance’s regional office in Brasilia to support the implementation of policies in Latin America and the Caribbean and to serve as a centre of knowledge and curator of Alliance policies,’ according to Janja.
The president of IPEA, Luciana Servo, stated that ‘IPEA will continue to support the Alliance secretariat in maintaining the Public Policy Basket and in technical cooperation demands.’
The Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty is an initiative of the Brazilian Presidency of the G20 and aims to align national and international support to help countries build and implement programmes and policy instruments that reduce hunger and poverty. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is a founding member of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.