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Amb. Lok Bahadur Thapa, Chair of the LDC Group and President of ECOSOC,
Amb. Sheikha Alya Al Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations and Host of LDC5,
Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,

Good morning, and a very warm welcome to this Expert Group Meeting on the Food Stockholding Mechanism for Least Developed Countries.

I am delighted to see such strong and diverse participation today, from Member States, the UN system, IFIs, regional organizations and leading experts. Your presence reflects a shared recognition that food security and nutrition remain among the most urgent and systemic challenges confronting LDCs, and that addressing them requires coordinated, evidence-based and innovative solutions.
I thank Amb. Lok Bahadur Thapa, and Amb. Sheikha Alya Al Thani, for their kind presence.
Amb. Thapa, thank you for your strong leadership of the LDC Group and for your continued engagement in advancing this agenda.
 
Amb. Al Thani, you’ve been a steadfast champion of the Doha Programme of Action; and your leadership and commitment have been instrumental in advancing the DPOA implementation and this important deliverable.
And I am very pleased to have with us virtually Mr. Fahad Hamad Al Sulaiti, Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD). We have close collaboration with the Qatar Fund for Development in advancing the implementation of DPOA deliverables. QFFD’s engagement exemplifies the kind of strategic, long-term partnership that this mechanism seeks to foster - anchored in country ownership, solidarity, and shared responsibility.

I also wish to extend my sincere thanks to WFP and to the team of consultants, led by Emeritus Professor David Tschirley, for their rigorous work in developing the feasibility study and for their continued engagement throughout this process.

And I am very pleased to acknowledge the presence of all distinguished experts and partners from the UN system and beyond, joining us both here in New York and virtually from around the world. [A special thanks to ASG Maximo Torrero. Thank you for being with us throughout this process.]
 
Your presence underscores our shared commitment to confronting the persistent food security challenges facing millions of people in the LDCs.

Excellencies,
The urgency of our task is clear.
-   In 2024, an estimated 8.2% of the global population was undernourished. In LDCs, this figure stood at over 21% - nearly three times the global average.
-   More than 40% of people in LDCs experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, compared to 29% globally.
-   [And] while child stunting has declined worldwide, many LDCs continue to record rates exceeding 33%.
These are not just statistics. They reflect lives constrained by hunger, communities repeatedly pushed into crises, and countries struggling to break entrenched cycles of vulnerability.

The drivers of food insecurity are intensifying. Climate-induced shocks, volatile food and fuel prices, supply chain bottlenecks, and fiscal constraints are compounding the crisis. At the same time, humanitarian financing is under severe strain, narrowing response windows precisely when speed and predictability are most needed.
 
It is against this backdrop, that a food stockholding mechanism for LDCs assumes heightened urgency. The DPOA mandates the Secretary-General to explore the feasibility, effectiveness, and administrative modalities of such a system for LDCs, as part of a broader effort to strengthen food security, resilience and preparedness.

The Secretary-General has further elevated this priority within the broader UNDS agenda. In his July 2023 Call to Action for accelerated food systems transformation, he explicitly called on Member States to operationalize a Food Stockholding Mechanism for LDCs as a concrete contribution to achieving SDG2.

The LDCs continue to face structural barriers in accessing existing facilities due to complex eligibility criteria, limited institutional capacity, or the absence of tailored windows that reflect their specific vulnerabilities.

The case for an FSM is therefore, both compelling and urgent. Such a mechanism can be a practical, strategic and effective instrument to:
 
?   Bridge immediate supply gaps during emergencies;
?   Stabilize access while markets and imports adjust;
?   Strengthen national systems by building existing reserves, social protection mechanisms and emergency response capacities; and
?   Enable LDCs to shift from reactive crisis management toward proactive operational readiness.

Our guiding principle is clear: It is to build a mechanism that is fit for purpose: emergency-focused, risk-informed, transparent, and closely coordinated with existing national, regional, and global initiatives, so that we add value and avoid duplication.

Let me underscore that we are not here to create yet another new entity. We are here to examine the feasibility of a functional mechanism - one that addresses the specific needs of LDCs, while strategically leveraging the existing facilities and capacities.
Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,

Many of you have accompanied this process from its inception, helping to anchor the Food Stockholding Mechanism in the DPOA as part of a strategic, coherent response to recurrent shocks undermining progress toward achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
 
We are here now at a decisive juncture - moving from concept to implementation.

We have shared with you the draft feasibility study prepared by an excellent team of experts and consultants. The study assesses the exposure of all 44 LDCs to food-related shocks, their vulnerability and response capacity, and proposes a hybrid mechanism tailored to their realities.

I encourage you to engage in this important exercise with both ambition and pragmatism. Your expert input will be essential in three areas:

?   First, in clarifying the operational requirements of the mechanism: identifying instruments and response modalities that work in real emergencies.

?   Second, in determining appropriate governance, and institutional arrangements to ensure strong coordination, accountability, and alignment with existing systems.

?   Third, in mobilizing sustained political, technical, and financial support to secure long-term viability and strong ownership by LDCs themselves.
 
Your reflections will help shape a mechanism that is not only technically sound, but also politically credible, financially viable and responsive to those most at risk.

Before concluding, allow me to express once again my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Government of Qatar for its financial support toward the initial operationalization of the FSM. This contribution helps to translate analysis into action. I hope that other donors and partners will come forward with their support to establish a sustainable food stockholding mechanism for the LDCs.
Looking ahead, following this meeting, we will finalize the feasibility study. We then intend to launch a pilot phase in a representative group of LDCs; and then progressively expand access to all interested LDCs.

I am confident that with the expertise gathered here, we will advance this important agenda in a concrete and meaningful way.

I wish you a productive meeting and look forward to a fruitful outcome.
Thank you.