The post of the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food was created in 2000 (UN Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/10). The mandate was subsequently modified by a 2007 UN Human Rights Council resolution.
The Special Rapporteur is mandated to promote full realisation of the right to food and the right to be free from hunger, and to assist realisation of Millennium Development Goal no. 1: to halve the number of people affected by hunger. The Rapporteur examines the practices of states and non-state entities impacting the right to food, and has produced reports that address the role and influence of companies on the enjoyment of the right to food. The Special Rapporteur conducts country visits to examine the enjoyment and implementation of the right to food.
The current UN Special Rapporteur is Hilal Elver, appointed in June 2014 by the UN Human Rights Council. The Special Rapporteur from March 2008 to May 2014 was Olivier De Schutter.
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