The United Nations Food Systems Summit (FSS) Principles of Engagement are presented as advancing the vision of an equitable and healthy future, and their acceptance is a pre-requisite for participation in Summit Dialogues. However, the Principles themselves have now been the subject of much criticism, alongside other aspects of Summit organisation and governance. Dissatisfaction with these terms of engagement underpins the decisions of many civil society organisations to boycott the Summit, while there are indications of significant concerns among those participating across key fora. Such concerns often focus on how multi-stakeholder approaches are being operationalised and on the absence of measures to manage conflict of interest with commercial sector actors.

This Independent Dialogue proposes to engage constructively and critically with the Summit Principles, seeking to draw on governance practices in related contexts to promote greater inclusion, transparency and accountability. The Dialogue will help to inform pragmatic actions and develop recommendations to enhance Summit governance and to support transformation of food systems.

The Dialogue will be informed by the results of an online crowdsourcing exercise designed to elicit responses, comments and suggestions, circulated to invited participants and disseminated via civil society and scientific networks with an interest in the Food Systems Summit.