On 21 April 2022, Ireland convened an Arria-Formula meeting at the UN Security Council (‘UNSC’) on Conflict and Hunger to consider the possible actions needed to break the vicious cycle of conflict-induced food insecurity as well as the better operationalisation of the seminal UNSC Resolution 2417 (2018) which recognised the intrinsic link between conflict and hunger, condemning the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

The situation as it stands is dire. As highlighted in the meeting’s concept note prepared by Ireland, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have noted that the number of people suffering from acute food insecurity, driven by conflict and insecurity, has risen from 99 million in 2020 to 139 million in 2021. Despite the undeniable link establishing conflict as the main driver of hunger and famine globally, UNSC Resolution 2417 has not been utilised to its full potential, since its unanimous adoption almost 4 years ago.

In briefing the Security Council at the meeting, UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri recalled that

“Resolution 2417 is a very powerful tool. It is powerful because it recognises that hunger is a cause and effect of armed conflict. It is powerful because it warns against using food as a weapon. And it is powerful because it appreciates the unique relationship between hunger and armed conflict, while also recognising the complexity of hunger in a holistic and systemic way.”

In providing options for action going forward, the Special Rapporteur recalled GRC’s long-standing call for the establishment of a dedicated focal point for Resolution 2417 (such as a Special Envoy), to lead and coordinate reporting on conflict and starvation, noting that:

“One of the most important aspects of Resolution 2417 is it’s reporting requirement. Here I’m drawing on the work of an organisation named Global Rights Compliance. I think reporting is a key factor to enable everyone to mobilise to prevent hunger and famine if a conflict were to arise or alternatively, to prevent armed conflict in the first place.

There has been a clear call to establish a designated focal point or Special Envoy around Resolution 2417. … While the Security Council’s powers are limited to peace and security, the reports they receive must understand food in systemic terms, so that they can decide what to do. If you create a focal point or a robust focal point the scope should reflect Resolution 2417’s holistic commitment to addressing root causes and the recognition that armed conflict directly and indirectly destabilises food systems. Even if you think the Security Council should have a limited scope, you must understand food in systemic terms, before you can decide how to act. The focal point’s purpose could be to provide reports that help all relevant actors, and not just the Security Council.”

Establishing a focal point is essential to securing clear and effective leadership on the conflict and hunger agenda, and ensuring meaningful and safe, centralised coordination on data-gathering and reporting across diverse stakeholders, including the various entities working on food security and humanitarian aid, the Group of Friends (GOF) for Action on Conflict and Hunger, the High-Level Task Force on Famine (HLTF) and member states active on, and supportive of, this agenda. The appointment of a Special Envoy would further be useful in facilitating ‘quiet diplomacy’ that might usefully enable access to those cut off from food assistance in conflict settings as well as facilitate negotiations aimed at ceasefires and conflict-resolution efforts that underpin longer-term solutions. GRC’s view is that this focal point is critical for early engagement and proactive responses, going towards enhancing the UNSC’s ability to adopt preventative (rather than reactive) decisions and fulfil the potential of Resolution 2417.

Specifically, a focal point (and also, where necessary, supported by individual states and the GOF) could facilitate the following:

• Enable the Special Envoy on Resolution 2417 to monitor and quickly inform the UNSC about conflict-induced food insecurity in armed conflicts, with a view to facilitating and encouraging the safe and reliable reporting of information to the UN Secretary-General within 30 days of emerging situations.
• Establish an independent body of experts to collect and channel sensitive information and equip the Special Envoy, the UNSC and the Secretary-General to take preventative action.
• Provide support for engagement with Resolution 2417 among country-level humanitarian actors, towards protecting and providing a safe avenue for coordination for organisations actively participating in data-gathering and reporting as well as for humanitarian agencies that possess crucial information but whose aid and assistance mandate might be jeopardised should they be seen as reporting on the activities of warring parties. As part of this establish procedures to ensure that stakeholders can securely (and if necessary, anonymously) submit verified, up-to-date, detailed and actionable information on country and conflict-specific situations. It is also essential to provide support to local actors and humanitarian workers in hard to reach and remote areas in order to facilitate their ability to share data.
• Provide support for the development of guidelines for the implementation of Resolution 2417 at the field-level, to be used as an advocacy tool to encourage better compliance with the prohibition on starvation tactics by political and military actors as well as a lobbying tool to promote action.
• Provide capacity-building support to country- and local-level human rights actors, towards developing their capacity to monitor and document starvation violations and crimes, engage early warning systems, and take anticipatory and mitigatory action.
• Provide support for an examination of the lessons learnt from data-gathering efforts to date, particularly regarding starvation violations. This could move towards identifying how these efforts have been effective and where they can be improved, and how actionable information must be collated and presented.

For further options for action, see: GRC’s Guidance Note: Strengthening UN Security Council action under Resolution 2417 to break the cycle of conflict-induced hunger (March 2021).