New York, May 19, 2022, SPA -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has stressed that it made important steps to enhance food security and prepared strategies aiming at enhancing food growth and facing climate change challenges and scarcity of water resources, where these efforts have contributed to improving food security indicators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These remarks were made during a speech that was delivered, on behalf of Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed Elkhereiji during the Global Food Security Ministerial Meeting that was called for by the USA at the UN. Eng. Elkhereiji said: What the international community is facing today of challenges require enhancing multilateral international cooperation, especially that the joint challenge we are facing today of food insecurity has proven that the way towards sustainable recovery relies on the cooperation of all to face it. The deputy minister noted that there are several challenges and risks posing a real threat to completing the development process and the global food security. He added: These challenges include global health challenges related to the spread of epidemics, where the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed the weak level of the international system in combating a virus that cannot be seen in the bare eye, which led to strong turmoils that affected societies and economies and had devastating repercussions on the lives and living conditions of people and economic indicators whose trends reversed from uptrends to downtrends. He also said that it negatively affected the development gains that were hardly achieved and caused shortages in the global food needs and led to big hikes in the level of food insecurity, mainly in the most underprivileged countries. Eng. Elkhereiji went on saying: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which stresses the right of mankind to decent living under a sustainable and comprehensive health environment that provides all tools of comfort, has made great efforts in leading global response to this pandemic that coincided with the term of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20, where my country supported global efforts in facing this pandemic with USD 500 million, in addition to offering USD 300 million to help countries’ efforts in combating the pandemic and exerted big humanitarian efforts in supporting the neediest countries in facing the negative impacts of the pandemic. He also mentioned that challenges are also related to the environment and climate change, where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to protect planet earth and biodiversity and preserve healthy ecosystems that are considered a main reason for maintaining food security. He noted that the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 has focused its sustainable development efforts on building a sustainable agricultural sector, enhancing sectors that support food systems, developing systems and improving agricultural productivity, and boosting the abilities of research and innovation to ensure a sustainable progress for food security. The deputy minister also pointed out that the challenges are also concerned with security and armed conflicts, which are considered top and most dangerous challenges for their direct threat to the development process and global food security. Eng. Elkhereiji also reiterated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy places great attention to instilling security and stability, supporting dialogue and peaceful solutions, and providing circumstances supporting development and realizing the aspirations of people in receiving a better future, whether in the Middle East or beyond, which can be seen in the peace efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in reaching this end. He also stressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered with development issues and humanitarian efforts that contribute to supporting developing countries, where, out of its humanitarian, pioneering role and its responsibility towards the international community, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always affirmed its commitments to this big role in helping the neediest and affected countries from natural disasters and humanitarian crises, noting that Saudi Arabia is the biggest donor country in terms of humanitarian and development assistance at the Arab and Islamic levels and among the biggest three donor countries at the international level. The deputy minister, at the end of his speech, referred to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s affirmation on the importance of enhancing multilateral values and international cooperation that are stipulated in the UN covenant to realize the Sustainable Development Goals and overcoming increasing international challenges to reach a more comprehensive and fairer world and enhance the welfare of peoples. --SPA 15:49 LOCAL TIME 12:49 GMT 0018 www.spa.gov.sa/w1734599