Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Presenter: H.E. Jayantha Jayasuriya
Location: New York
Statement by H.E. Jayantha Jayasuriya, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of Sri Lanka to the United Nations At the High-Level Open Debate of the Security Council
Food Under Fire- The Security Council’s Role in Mitigating Global and Local Food Crises:
25 August 2026
Mr. President,
Sri Lanka thanks Denmark, in its capacity as President of the Security Council, for convening this important debate. We welcome comprehensive briefings from the esteemed presenters, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
We also welcome the opportunity to reflect on the nexus between armed conflict, food insecurity and international peace and security.
Sri Lanka reiterates its deep concern that hunger continues to affect millions of people around the world, while conflict remains one of the principal drivers of acute food insecurity. The adoption of Security Council resolution 2417 (2018) was an important recognition that conflict and hunger are mutually reinforcing. Yet, the persistence of food crises in situations of conflict demonstrates that we must do more to translate early warning into timely preventive action.
Food insecurity does not stop at the borders of a conflict. In our interconnected world, disruptions to energy, fertilizer, agriculture, maritime trade and humanitarian supply chains can carry the consequences of conflict far beyond the immediate theatre of hostilities.
Conflicts and instability in a single region can disrupt energy and maritime routes, raise transport and production costs, and place further pressure on food-importing developing countries already facing acute food insecurity. Such shocks can have consequences far beyond the immediate conflict.
Sri Lanka has experienced first-hand how external economic and geopolitical shocks can affect food and energy security, livelihoods and the wellbeing of vulnerable communities. This experience has reinforced our conviction that food security must be approached not only through emergency response, but also through prevention, resilience and international cooperation.
At the national level, Sri Lanka places food and nutrition security at the centre of its development priorities. Under our National Nutrition Policy, initiatives have been undertaken to ensure that every citizen has access to adequate and appropriate food and nutrition, irrespective of geographical location or socio-economic status. Sri Lanka considers sustainability to be a cornerstone of its national policies, recognizing that resilient food systems are essential to protecting populations against both immediate crises and future shocks.
Our experience also demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships. Sri Lanka works closely with United Nations agencies, including the World Food Programme, to strengthen food security and nutrition, and with UNICEF to improve child and maternal nutrition. Such partnerships are particularly important in ensuring that humanitarian and development efforts reach those most vulnerable to food insecurity.
Mr. President,
Sri Lanka believes that the Security Council can make better use of the early-warning framework established through resolution 2417. Early warning is meaningful only when it leads to early action.
We therefore encourage closer and more systematic engagement between the Security Council and relevant United Nations entities, so that emerging food-security risks in conflict situations can be brought to the Council’s attention at an early stage. Where credible early warnings indicate that conflict may generate famine, mass displacement or wider regional instability, the international community must be prepared to act before these consequences become irreversible.
In this regard, we see value in strengthening three mutually reinforcing areas.
First, the Council should strengthen its ability to identify food-security risks before they develop into humanitarian emergencies and consider how such information can inform the Secretary-General’s good offices, mediation and conflict-prevention efforts. Preventing conflict remains the most effective means of preventing conflict-induced hunger.
Second, civilians must not be deprived of food as a consequence of armed conflict. Humanitarian personnel must be able to reach affected populations safely and without impediment. At the same time, international efforts should seek to protect the systems through which food reaches populations, including agricultural production, transport networks, ports and maritime routes. Compliance with international humanitarian law must remain central to these efforts.
Third, the international community must support vulnerable and food-import-dependent countries in strengthening resilient food systems. This requires cooperation not only among States, but also across the United Nations system, international financial institutions, regional organizations and humanitarian actors. Support for sustainable agriculture, local production, storage capacity, resilient infrastructure, and predictable trade can reduce the vulnerability of countries to future geopolitical shocks.
Sri Lanka also emphasizes the importance of addressing the disproportionate consequences borne by developing countries. A conflict occurring in one region should not translate into hunger and economic hardship for vulnerable populations thousands of kilometres away. The international community must therefore consider the wider and indirect consequences of regional conflicts, particularly on countries that are highly dependent on imported food, fertilizer, energy and maritime trade.
Mr. President,
Food security is ultimately inseparable from peace and stability. Hunger can deepen poverty, drive displacement, exacerbate social tensions and contribute to further instability. Conversely, conflict destroys the agricultural, economic and social foundations upon which food security depends. Breaking this cycle requires the international community to move beyond responding to hunger after a crisis has already emerged.
Sri Lanka remains committed to working with the United Nations, Member States, regional organizations, international financial institutions and humanitarian partners to advance resilient, sustainable and inclusive food systems, ensuring that no population is left vulnerable to hunger as a consequence of conflict beyond its borders.
Thank you.