PROGRESS ON UNHCR-WFP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005806 SIPDIS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 05806 01 OF 02 030842Z FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, DAS/IO SANDERS AND IO/D USAID FOR A/AID, AA/DCHA, AA/AFR, DCHA/FFP, PPC/DP, PPC/DC USDA/FAS/FOR CHAMBLISS/TILLSWORTH GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER USUN FOR CSERWER NSC FOR JDWOKEN OMB FOR TSTOLL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF KUNR WFP UN KUNR EAID WFP UN SUBJECT: PROGRESS ON UNHCR-WFP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SIGNED ON JULY 9 - SELECTION OF THREE PILOT COUNTRIES FOR DIRECT WFP DELIVERY OF FOOD TO THE END USER REF: (A) ROME 3566 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. UNHCR AND WFP SIGNED A REVISED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) ON JULY 9 WHERE IT WAS AGREED THAT, ON A PILOT ONE-YEAR TRIAL BASIS, WFP WILL ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BASIC FOOD RATION IN FIVE REFUGEE PROGRAMS. USMISSION HAS NOW BEEN INFORMED BY WFP THAT BOTH UN AGENCIES HAVE AGREED ON PAKISTAN, UGANDA AND SIERRA LEONE. TANZANIA, GUINEA AND BANGLADESH - REMAIN UNDER DISCUSSION FOR THE REMAINING TWO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 05806 01 OF 02 030842Z PILOT TESTS. END SUMMARY. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. RUUD LUBBERS, UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) AND JIM MORRIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (WFP) SIGNED ON JULY 9 A REVISED MOU AIMED AT STRENGTHERNING COPPERATION AT THE FIELD LEVEL IN DELIVERING FOOD AID TO REFUGEES, RETURNEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) WORLDWIDE. CLAUSE 5.8 OF THE REVISION STATES: "ON A PILOT BASIS AND FOR AN INITIAL DURATION OF 12 MONTHS (PER COUNTRY),WFP WILL ASSUME, AT ITS OWN COST, RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BASIC FOOD RATION IN FIVE REFUGEE PROGRAMMES. THE PILOT COUNTRY PROGRAMMES WILL BE SELECTED JOINTLY BY UNHCR AND WFP BASED UPON JOINTLY AGREED CRITERIA AND IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CONCERNED WFP/UNHCR COUNTRY TEAMS." ¶3. WFP HEADQUARTERS HAS ADVISED USMISSION THAT BOTH UN AGENCIES HAVE NOW AGREED ON TESTING WFP FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF BASIC FOOD COMMODITIES IN REFUGEE OPERATIONS IN PAKISTAN, UGANDA AND SIERRA LEONE. TANZANIA, GUINEA AND BANGLADESH - REMAIN UNDER ACTIVE DISCUSSION FOR THE REMAINING TWO PILOT TESTS. ¶4. IN THE AGREED UPON COUNTRY OPERATIONS, WFP WOULD ASSUME THE LEAD IN NEGOTIATING THE TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT AND DIRECTLY CONTRACT WITH IMPLEMENTING PARTNER NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) FOR FINAL FOOD ASSISTANCE DISTRIBUTION UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 05806 01 OF 02 030842Z TO BENEFICIARIES. NOTE: THIS IS STANDARD PRACTICE FOR WFP IN NON-REFUGEE PROGRAMS, AND WFP BELIEVES THAT THIS PILOT APPROACH COULD RESULT IN AN OVERALL COST-SAVINGS TO DONORS. WFP IS ALSO OF THE VIEW THAT ACCOUNTABILITY FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION WOULD ALSO IMPROVE SINCE ONLY ONE AGENCY (I.E., WFP) WOULD RETAIN OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY FROM START TO FINISH. END NOTE. ¶5. FOR THE FIVE PILOT COUNTRIES IN WHICH WFP WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION, WFP AND UNHCR WILL ENACT TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS SO AS TO ENSURE A SMOOTH HAND- OVER OF RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES. AT THE END OF A YEAR'S TRIAL PER COUNTRY, THE PILOT ACTIVITIES WILL BE JOINTLY EVALUATED. THE FINDINGS OF THAT EVALUATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS WILL THEN BE THE SUBJECT OF FURTHER DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN UNHCR AND WFP. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE FIVE PILOTS WILL IMPLY ADJUSTMENTS IN THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF BOTH UNHCR AND WFP, EQUIVALENT TO THE COST OF ONWARD MOVEMENT OF FOOD UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ9386 PAGE 01 ROME 05806 02 OF 02 030842Z ACTION PRM-00 INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 OIGO-00 E-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 SSO-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SA-00 FMP-00 SAS-00 /003W -------------- 11CC5B 030849Z /38 P 030715Z DEC 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7146 INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY KAMPALA AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD AMEMBASSY FREETOWN AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM AMEMBASSY DHAKA AMEMBASSY CONAKRY AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY BERN USDA FAS WASHDC 2450 USEU BRUSSELS 2981 USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005806 SIPDIS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 05806 02 OF 02 030842Z FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, DAS/IO SANDERS AND IO/D USAID FOR A/AID, AA/DCHA, AA/AFR, DCHA/FFP, PPC/DP, PPC/DC USDA/FAS/FOR CHAMBLISS/TILLSWORTH GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER USUN FOR CSERWER NSC FOR JDWOKEN OMB FOR TSTOLL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF KUNR WFP UN KUNR EAID WFP UN SUBJECT: PROGRESS ON UNHCR-WFP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SIGNED ON JULY 9 - SELECTION OF THREE PILOT COUNTRIES FOR DIRECT WFP DELIVERY OF FOOD TO THE END USER COMMODITIES FROM THE EXTENDED TO THE FINAL DELIVERY POINT AND OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISTRIBUTION PER SE. AS WE ENTER THE LAST MONTH OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, HOWEVER, BOTH UNHCR AND WFP NEED TO BE URGED TO COME TO CLOSURE SOONEST ON THE SELECTION OF THE REMAINING TWO PILOT REFUGEE OPERATIONS. HALL UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME05806 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED