A LETTER signed by 86 civil society organisations was sent to the prime minister on 9 May, calling for him to cease evading the scrutiny of the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Professor Michael Fakhri.
In August 2022, over 21 months ago, Professor Fakhri submitted a request to make an official visit to the UK. Despite the UK Government claiming to have a standing invitation to all UN experts, they have,to date, failed to provide dates to Professor Fakhri for a visit and recently stated in a letter that it would not be feasible to invite the Special Rapporteur this year.
This effectively ends the possibility of an official visit by Professor Fakhri occurring during the current Parliament, and makes a nonsense of the premise of a ‘standing invitation’.
The letter to the prime mInister states that now is an opportune time for a country visit by the UN expert on the right to food, due to the increasing levels of poverty, food bank use, and reports of hunger that have remained persistent for a number of years and became even more pronounced during the cost-of-living crisis.
The letter has been signed by a wide range of UK based civil society organisations, including food banks, disability organisations, women’s groups, and human rights organisations, showing the level of impact that the issue of food poverty has across the spectrum of society.
* Read the letter here.
* Source: Just Fair