Are you:
– Passionate about elevating the voices of Indigenous Peoples and civil society?
– Determined to achieve food systems that achieve food sovereignty through agroecology?
– Interested in learning the ins and outs of global policymaking through the UN?
– Able to synthesise policy documents and reports quickly and effectively?
– A night owl that can attend meetings in the European time zone?
The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance is calling for expressions of interest to fill the Australasian sub-regional position on the coordination committee of the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism (CSIPM) for a one year term (October 2022 – October 2023). Information on the CSIPM and the tasks involved are outlined below.
If this opportunity piques your interest, please email international@afsa.org.au by Monday 14 November, briefly outlining:
– The experience you have participating in organisations working towards the right to food and food sovereignty
– Why this is the right time for you to participate in global policymaking
– The three superpowers you have that would enable you to flourish in the CSIPM
What is the role of a sub-regional committee member?
The function of coordination committee members as facilitators of a subregion consists of promoting the active participation of organisations committed to the realisation of the right to food and food sovereignty from their subregion in CSIPM and CFS processes and activities. The method is through an effective facilitation of two-way communication and consultation between participating organisations and the CSIPM as a global space.
Specific tasks include:
– Establish and continuously update the list of CSIPM participating organisations committed to the realisation of the right to food and food sovereignty in the Australasian subregion
– Share CSIPM updates, reports and consultations with the participating organisations
– Encourage participation in CSIPM Working Groups that are engaged in CFS policy process
– Establish two-way communication between local to global by:
– Bringing the struggles and priorities from the subregion to the CSIPM and CFS
– Promoting the knowledge about CSIPM activities and the use, application and monitoring of CFS policy outcomes that are most relevant for the organisations of the subregion;
– Support other subregional or constituency facilitators through peer-to-peer exchange and learning
The coordination committee meets virtually every 6–8 weeks for 2 hours. The annual meeting, the CSIPM Forum is conducted in Rome in October, prior to the annual CFS Plenary. Working Groups meet approximately once per month for 2 hours, but more frequently before key meetings and negotiations in the CFS. Meetings are typically in the evenings in Australia due to time difference with Europe.
About AFSA’s international work
We are part of a robust global network of civil society organisations involved in food sovereignty and food security policy development and advocacy. We are also members of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC), and La Via Campesina – the global movement of peasant farmers, which gives us a regional seat at many meetings of the United Nations, including the Food & Agriculture Organisation and many of its governing bodies.
AFSA is also a member of Urgenci: the International Network for Community-Supported Agriculture, and we also work with Slow Food International and its Australian chapters. We also support the Australasian representative on the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism (CSM), which articulates to the Committee on World Food Security (CFS).
What is the CSIPM?
The Mechanism is a space where organisations of smallholder and peasant farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, agricultural and food workers, consumers, landless, urban food insecure and NGOs gather to interface with governments, UN agencies and other relevant actors of the food system to promote policies for the elimination of hunger and malnutrition and for the progressive realisation of the right to food.
The CSIPM was created in 2010 in response to the fundamental decision of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS) to give a particular voice and space to those most affected by food insecurity and malnutrition, who are at the same time the most important contributors to food security and nutrition worldwide.
The CSIPM is the largest international space of civil society and Indigenous Peoples’ organisations working to eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition. The organisations participating in the CSIPM have more than 380 million affiliated members.
