Kathmandu, October 1

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has welcomed the promulgation of Nepal’s new constitution, which enshrines the right to food as a fundamental right of its citizens, FAO’s Representative in Nepal said today.

The Constituent Assembly unveiled the new constitution on September 2015, which recognises the Right to Food as a fundamental right of Nepali citizens. Promulgation of the new constitution is a milestone in the country’s march towards a democratic, equitable and just society.

FAO said it has been supporting the dialogue on food security, right to food and other related matters in Nepal for several years. These contributions have been instrumental in facilitating consensus and explicit recognition of the right to food, and other related provisions in articles 36 and 42.

The explicit constitutional recognition of the right to food will also be instrumental in implementing Zero Hunger Challenge Initiatives, which aims to address food insecurity in 30 districts in the mid-hills and mountain regions of Nepal, it stated.

“Enshrining the right to food in the new constitution of Nepal is a moment of paradigm importance,” said Somsak Pipoppinyo, FAO representative in Nepal. “I would like to congratulate all the stakeholders whose tireless efforts have paid off.

In particular, the National Human Rights Commission, members of the Constitution Assembly, Nepal Bar Association, farmers’ groups and human rights activists for their collective advocacy in favor of the constitutional status for the human right to adequate food,” said Somsak, adding that he was hopeful that food insecurity would be tackled in every district in the country in keeping with the spirit of the new charter.