Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14091 | 21 June 2016
The Charter of Milan: food as a fundamental human right
The Milan EXPO is a universal exhibition held in Milan in 2015, providing an opportunity to affirm – at global level – the fundamental social and cultural value of food.
The EXPO theme was “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”, notably nutrition, from food education to the serious scarcity of food affecting many regions of the world.
In the months preceding the EXPO a document was prepared, called the Charter of Milan, which lists the principles and objectives of the signatories on nutrition, environmental sustainability and human rights.
The Charter was written with the participation of more than 5 000 people, during meetings between experts and citizens, organised into thematic panels focussing on specific topics such as equitable development, the future of sustainability, the culture of food, agriculture for a sustainable future.
The Charter was signed so that citizens, associations, companies and businesses can undertake firm commitments concerning the right to food, which should be treated as a fundamental human right and to solve the problem of food supply and malnutrition in some parts of the world.
Indeed, in the Charter the lack of access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, clean water and energy is considered a violation of human dignity.
The collective action undertaken by the signatories of the Charter, citizens, together with civil society, businesses as well as local, national and international institutions will make it possible to overcome the major challenges related to food: combating undernutrition and malnutrition, promoting equitable access to natural resources and ensuring the sustainable management of production processes.
The Charter is also aimed at supporting the United Nations in the fight against hunger in the world, so that it can be eradicated by 2030.
The Parliamentary Assembly calls upon its members to treat the right to food as a fundamental human right.