The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a commemorative event for World Food Day at its headquarters in Rome on Wednesday, with the FAO head underscoring that access to sufficient food is a fundamental human right.
The global event was themed "Right to Food for a Better Life and a Better Future: Leave No One Behind."
Despite advancements in agricultural practices, approximately 733 million people worldwide are still facing hunger. This staggering statistic translates to one in every 11 individuals lacking adequate nutrition, according to reports from the World Food Programme and other international organizations.
"I am calling on all of us to renew our commitment of building more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agrifood systems that can nourish the world. Let us remember that there cannot be food security without peace. Peace is a prerequisite for food security, and the right to food is a basic human right," Qu Dongyu, the FAO Director-General said in his opening remarks.
As part of World Food Week, which runs from this Monday to Friday, the FAO is hosting a series of events, including the World Food Forum, an exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the FAO, and the Junior World Food Week focused on food security awareness. Additionally, hundreds of events are scheduled worldwide, aimed at mobilizing action from various sectors to ensure food security for all.
FAO holds global ceremony marking World Food Day 2024 in Rome
China's newly increased special-purpose local government bonds issued in the first quarter of 2026 stood at 1.1599 trillion yuan (about 169.7 billion U.S. dollars), according to the country's Ministry of Finance on Friday.
The number was 199.6 billion more than that of the same period last year, up 20.8 percent.
The special-purpose local government bonds are used for projects in key areas such as social services, transportation infrastructure, affordable housing, and urban renewal.
They are also intended to supplement government fund resources and help the clearance of government arrears owed to enterprises.
In the first quarter, the total treasury bond issuance exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan, up nearly 10 percent year on year, providing strong support to proactive fiscal policy.
Also on Friday, China kicked off the issuance of its 2026 ultra-long special treasury bonds, with the first two tranches comprising 20-year and 30-year fixed-rate bonds with periodic interest payments.
The issuance follows this year's Government Work Report, which proposed raising 1.3 trillion yuan (about 189.3 billion U.S. dollars) through ultra-long special treasury bonds to support projects for implementing major national strategies and building security capacity in key areas, as well as large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-in programs.
According to a notice previously released by the Ministry of Finance, the issuance of this year's ultra-long special treasury bonds is expected to be completed by mid-October.
Ultra-long special treasury bonds are government securities with maturities typically of 10 years or longer. They are used as a policy tool to finance long-term, large-scale investments aligned with national priorities, while also helping to stabilize growth by injecting sustained fiscal support into the economy.
China issues nearly 1.16 trillion yuan of new special-purpose local gov't bonds in Q1
