A/RES/66/220 Noting with appreciation the work undertaken by relevant international bodies and organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme, on agricultural development and on enhancing food security and nutrition, Recognizing the need to strengthen international coordination and governance for food security through the Global Partnership for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, of which the Committee on World Food Security is a central component, and reiterating that it is essential to enhance global governance, building on existing institutions and fostering effective partnerships, Expressing concern that the number of people living in extreme poverty and hunger has reached nearly one billion, which is an unacceptable blight on the lives, livelihoods and dignity of many of the world’s people, mostly in developing countries, and noting that the effects of long-standing underinvestment in food security, agriculture and rural development have recently been further exacerbated by the food, financial and economic crises, among other factors, Remaining deeply concerned about starvation and the humanitarian disaster on an unimaginable scale being faced by millions of people in the Horn of Africa, Expressing concern about the negative impact of high and excessively volatile food prices on food security and nutrition, particularly on the poor and people in vulnerable situations, which has undermined the prospect of developing countries for economic growth and poverty alleviation, including the goal to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General; 17 2. Welcomes the note by the Chair of the Committee on World Food Security on the progress made in implementing the reform of the Committee, 18 and urges Member States and encourages civil society and the private sector to strongly support such reform and the aims and endeavours of the Committee; Reiterates the need to adequately and urgently address agriculture 3. development and food security in the context of national, regional and international development policies, taking into account the importance of enhancing synergies between sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, food security, nutrition and development policies; Also reiterates the importance of developing countries determining their 4. own food security strategies, that food security is a national policy responsibility and that any plans for addressing food security challenges and the eradication of poverty in relation to food security must be nationally articulated, designed, owned and led and built in consultation with all key stakeholders at the national level, and urges Member States, especially those that suffer from food insecurity, to make food security a high priority and to reflect this in their national programmes and budgets; Acknowledges that the achievement of food security and improved 5. nutrition outcomes are closely interlinked, and underlines the need to make special efforts to meet the nutritional needs of women, children, older persons and persons _______________ 17 18 4 A/66/277. See A/66/76-E/2011/102.