Welthungerhilfe's demands for the 2025 German Bundestag elections
The 21st German Bundestag will be elected on February 23, 2025. Welthungerhilfe (WHH) calls for a courageous and positive vision of the future for Germany by the political parties, including a clear commitment to a strong and human rights-oriented development policy and humanitarian aid.
Especially in regions affected by hunger, where fundamental human rights such as the right to food or the right to water are not realized by the respective governments, development cooperation and humanitarian assistance support people in need and help to ensure that all people can exercise their right to a self-determined life in dignity and justice, free from hunger and poverty.
Furthermore, in an interconnected world, development cooperation contributes to the protection of global resources, the environment and the climate and is committed to reducing inequalities. Development cooperation opens up and strengthens paths of international understanding and thus contributes to a more peaceful coexistence.
Anti-democratic and nationalist positions are increasingly present in politics. Political and public discourses are adopting these same positions – sometimes unconsciously. Without clear counter-positions, there is a risk of a trend towards more hatred and exclusion in our society. An increasing retreat from global responsibility questions development policy and humanitarian assistance, is backward-looking and therefore not a sustainable policy for Germany.
It is crucial that all parties in the election campaign commit to democracy with clear protection of minorities, respect for human rights and global responsibility for sustainable development and defend these values, especially in the election campaign.
We demand:
1. Development cooperation that empowers people
A clear commitment to democracy, freedom of opinion and tolerance in Germany and worldwide. Development cooperation must be aligned with human rights, the Paris Climate Agreement and the United Nations 2030 Agenda, in particular the Sustainable Development Goals SDG 1 – No Poverty and SDG 2 – Zero Hunger.
2. 0.7% of GNI for official development assistance
The fulfillment of the minimum quota of 0.7% of GNI for official development assistance (ODA). Of this, the German government should provide at least 0.2% of GNI as ODA for the least developed countries (LDCs).
3. A strong and critical civil society
The German government supports a strong and critical civil society in Germany and partner countries, involves civil society in important decision-making processes, and strengthens its scope for action. To achieve this, we call for higher related budget items and more flexible access to financial support. Civil society organizations are close to the local population, (cost-) efficient and effective. They should, therefore, be given a proportionally higher share of ODA funds for implementation.
4. The right to food must be realized
Hunger is prioritized as the greatest solvable problem of our time, because every 11th person in the world goes hungry. The next German government should work hard to ensure that the right to food is realized and strengthened in political dialogue, in cooperation with partner countries and on the international level. Is anchoring in the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), but also Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA) should be improved.
5. Effective humanitarian assistance
That humanitarian assistance is available in an appropriate, timely and effective manner in the face of rising needs. The government must step up humanitarian diplomacy efforts and contribute to strengthening international humanitarian law, protecting aid workers and providing access to affected people in accordance with humanitarian principles. Humanitarian assistance must be increasingly inclusive, proactive, local and resource-efficient.
6. A transformation of food systems
A clear commitment to the transformation of food systems: This includes promoting sustainable and resilient agriculture, strengthening rural areas, gender equity and access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), combating all forms of malnutrition and undernutrition, and making food systems resilient to climate change and conflict, especially in fragile contexts.
7. Protection of the Global South from the effects of the climate crisis
The German share of international climate financing is fulfilled: the German government should make at least half of the climate funds available for adaptation to the climate crisis so that the countries of the Global South can protect themselves from the effects.
8. A fair policy towards Africa
An inter-ministerial and coherent policy regarding African countries, developed and implemented in close cooperation with African partners. In doing so, it should support local initiatives and bottom-up approaches as well as the concerns of the African Union and regional organizations in the implementation of Agenda 2063.
9. Companies must fulfill human rights due diligence obligations
A strong legislation that ensures that companies fulfill human rights due diligence obligations (including the right to food) and cooperate with all actors along the supply chain down to the production level.
