Established during the G20 in 2024, the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty marks its second anniversary on November 18. The initiative is based on a simple idea: hunger and poverty are not inevitable, and many countries already have policies that work. The challenge is to bring together political commitment, financing, and partnerships to implement these solutions at scale by 2030.
The Alliance facilitates this coordination, while countries and other members lead implementation. But how can global commitments become concrete results within each country? Financial resources and social participation must go hand in hand to ensure that national plans move from commitment to implementation.
In October, this discussion gained prominence in Rome, a city at the centre of the global food agenda. On October 16, the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted the fourth meeting of the Alliance's Board of Champions, during a period marked by international gatherings such as the World Food Forum and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS).
The Board brings together senior representatives of key Alliance members, including countries, international organizations, financial institutions, philanthropic organizations, and knowledge institutions. Each seat has a voice and a vote.
One Seat, Four Voices
Ação da Cidadania participates in the Board of Champions as one of four organizations sharing a seat under the Knowledge Pillar, alongside Instituto Fome Zero, Comida do Amanhã, and World Vision International.
The seat carries a voice and one vote shared among the four organizations, which jointly develop the positions presented to the Board. Ação da Cidadania was represented by Kiko Afonso, who holds the leadership of the shared seat until November, Mariana Macário, and Ariane Brugnhara.
At the meeting, financing for the implementation of country plans was a recurring topic. Speaking on behalf of the shared seat, as part of the rotation among the organizations, Juliana Tângari, from Comida do Amanhã, advocated for the formal inclusion of civil society in the Alliance's governance.
According to the Alliance’s, it has 223 members: 107 countries, 71 foundations and other members, 31 international organizations, and 14 financial institutions. Its commitments are organized around three pillars: National, Financial Support, and Knowledge.
The governance structure includes the members, the Summit, the Board of Champions, and the Support Mechanism. The Board meets twice a year and is supported by the Core Group, comprising two co-chairs and up to six vice-chairs. Civil society participates in this group as an observer.
The fourth meeting was a working session, with particular attention to progress on financing, including the Collaborative Financing Framework, and on the communications plan.
Social Participation from the Outset
The meeting also marked one year of the shared seat. During this period, the participating organizations have gained greater space and recognition within the Board. In November, leadership of the seat will pass to World Vision International, as established in the agreement among the organizations. All four will remain part of the shared seat, whose mandate runs until February 2028.
Civil society's presence in these spaces reinforces a central message: social participation is not an optional extra. It must be incorporated from the earliest stages of programme design so that international commitments reflect communities' realities and can reach people.
For Ação da Cidadania, holding this seat means bringing the knowledge gained through its community networks to the global table. It also means helping ensure that international discussions take into account the realities of people experiencing hunger and poverty, strengthening civil society participation in building solutions that reach those who need them.