Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14091 | 21 June 2016

The Charter of Milan: food as a fundamental human right

Signatories: Ms Maria Teresa BERTUZZI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Maryvonne BLONDIN, France, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Giovanna CECCHETTI, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Ms Pascale CROZON, France, SOC ; Ms Renata DESKOSKA, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', SOC ; Ms Josette DURRIEU, France, SOC ; Ms Ute FINCKH-KRÄMER, Germany, SOC ; Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Mr Dirk Van der MAELEN, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Marit MAIJ, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Marianne MIKKO, Estonia, SOC ; Ms Christine MUTTONEN, Austria, SOC ; Mr René ROUQUET, France, SOC ; Mr Nico SCHRIJVER, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Manuel TORNARE, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Gisela WURM, Austria, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

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.