For months, the Secretary-General has been underlining the importance of facilitating full access to world markets for Ukraine’s food stocks and Russian food and fertilizers.
He travelled to Moscow and Kyiv in April to propose a plan to reach that objective.
Ukraine and the Russian Federation are breadbaskets of the world, producing almost one-third of the world’s wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil. Russia is also a top global exporter of fertilizers and the raw materials for its production.
Today in Istanbul, senior representatives from Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and Türkiye gathered to sign an initiative which establishes a mechanism for the safe transportation of grain, related foodstuffs and fertilizer from Ukrainian ports to global markets. The United Nations, represented by the Secretary-General, signed the Initiative as a witness. The purpose of the Initiative is to contribute to the prevention of global hunger, to reduce and address global food insecurity, and to ensure the safety and security of merchant ships entering or departing Ukrainian ports.
In the Initiative, the Parties recognized the role of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in securing the discussions for this Initiative. They went on to request his further assistance in its implementation, in the furtherance of the humanitarian mission of the United Nations, subject to its authorities and mandates. Läs artikel