The 53rd session of the Committee on World Food Security was held from 20 to 24 October 2025 under the theme “Making a Difference in Food Security and Nutrition”.

The session was attended by 126 members of the Committee, 10 non-member countries, 14 UN Agencies, 102 civil society organizations and numerous representatives of international agricultural research organizations, international and regional financial institutions, private sector associations and private charitable foundations. Azerbaijan was represented at the event by its Permanent Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome.

The session was declared open by the Chairperson of the Committee, Ambassador of South Africa Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile. On the opening day, statements were heard from the UN Secretary-General, the President of ECOSOC, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the President of IFAD, and the Deputy Executive Director of WFP.

The speeches highlighted that 2.3 billion people are moderately or severely food insecure, hundreds of millions of children and women suffer from malnutrition, that despite government spending on agriculture reaching a record £701 billion in 2023, this figure represents only 2% of total government spending, and that hunger remains high in Gaza and Sudan. The leaders of the organization stated that the UN Food Systems Summit held in July this year aimed to re-introduce food as an engine for peace, equity and the fight against climate change, and that deepening partnerships, including with Public Development Banks and the private sector, would help translate global policies into concrete results on the ground, that national systems must continue to be strengthened, and that community-led programs that provide livelihoods and build long-term resilience must be protected and supported.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu highlighted that 1.3 billion young people, representing 44% of the world's youth, work in agricultural production systems, and face serious constraints in terms of access to finance, land, technology and decent work. Strengthening their skills and digital tools is essential to accelerate productivity, innovation and sustainability. FAO has launched the Food Crisis Financing Fund in 2025 to increase risk preparedness and protect those most vulnerable to climate shocks. The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, launched by FAO, IFAD and WFP, together with key partners, under the Brazilian G20 presidency, is an important step in the fight against hunger.

Afterwards, several members made national statements, expressing common concerns and talking about what has been done and can be done in their countries to make agri-food systems more sustainable and reduce hunger.

In the context of the discussions, the importance of maintaining open trade in food and agricultural products, preventing trade distortions and unjustified trade barriers in order to prevent negative impacts on global food security was emphasized.

Within the framework of the session, a side event entitled “On the road to COP30: synergies between the right to food and the 3 Rio Convention” was held on 23 October 2025, jointly organized by Brazil, Switzerland, Colombia, Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples' Mechanism – CSIPM, a civil society organization affiliated with the CFS, and the Philanthropic Foundation Mechanism – PFM. The CFS Chair, the Ambassador of Colombia, representatives of Brazil, Switzerland and Azerbaijan participated in the event as speakers. Detailed information was provided on the agenda of Azerbaijan’s COP29 presidency, the results achieved and future joint initiatives.