Joint WFP and FAO Letter regarding deepening cooperation

UNCLAS ROME 001428

SIPDIS


FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME

STATE FOR PRM/P AND IO/EDA
INFO USAID FOR A/AID, DCHA/FFP LANDIS, DCHA/OFDA MENGHETTI
USDA FOR FAS CHAMBLISS, SCHATZ, REICH AND HUGHES
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID EAGR PREF UN
SUBJECT: Joint WFP and FAO Letter regarding deepening cooperation



1. Summary. The US Mission Rome has recently been made aware of a
joint letter issued by WFP and FAO on November 27, 2003, that
describes how their respective organizations might enhance
cooperation and requests all WFP and FAO offices in the field and
at headquarters to become engaged in enhanced cooperation. US
Mission Rome personnel indeed have seen evidence of enhanced
cooperation in the field and we are encouraged by the initiative
the letter represents. End summary.


2. The World Food Program (WFP) and Food and Agricultural
Organization (FAO) have provided Permanent Representations in Rome
with a copy of a letter signed in November by Henri Carsalade,
FAO's Assistant Director General, and Jean-Jacques Graisse, WFP's
Deputy Executive Director for Operations. The letter represents
an understanding between the two organizations aimed at enhancing
cooperation, particularly in the field. Mustering combined forces
with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),
the letter lays out, will help the World Food Summit goal of
halving the number of undernourished people by 2015.


3. First immediate and practical steps toward strengthening
collaboration listed are:

-- Review of the ongoing cooperation and identification of new
areas of potential joint work;
-- Further development of the existing collaboration matrix to
include new areas of cooperation, focal points in both FAO and WFP
and ways to monitor progress;
-- Pilot-testing of innovative ways of addressing the issue of
protection of livelihoods of food insecure people;
-- Identification of the modalities for enhancing the technical
and other aspects of WFP projects through the provision of
relevant FAO expertise, as well as inclusion of South-South
Cooperation;
-- Encourage field staff to improve collaboration in joint
assessments and other activities.


4. Looking ahead, the understanding identifies potential areas for
enhanced or innovative collaboration, including the following:

-- Twin-track strategy to food security. Consistent with their
own priorities and a country's own national strategy, WFP and FAO
should identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration vis--vis
the United Nations Development Assessment Framework, Common
Country Assessment, and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. This
approach to food security would include promoting a concept of a
National Alliance Against Hunger;


-- Needs assessments. The two organizations have started a
process to improve the methodology of joint work on needs
assessments, updating the guidelines for the Crop and Food Supply
Assessment Missions, and cooperating in the tracking of people in
need of food and livelihoods and in the planning of short and long-
term interventions to reduce vulnerabilities to emergencies.

-- Special program for food security. Some 30 countries appear to
be committed to scaling up food security issues to a national
level. This paves the way for expanded partnerships between FAO
and WFP in assisting countries to develop inclusive food security
strategies leading to a reduced dependence on food aid.

-- Emergencies and the provision of agricultural inputs. The
organizations are encouraging further collaboration in emergency
preparedness and planning stages, at the onset of an emergency and
in the transition to rehabilitation and recovery, through
provision of agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizer, tools,
vaccines, animal feed and fishing gear in tandem with food aid in
order to enhance the possibility of achieving the Millennium
Development Goals.

-- Nutrition. As members of the UN Standing Committee on
Nutrition, WFP and FAO have long collaborated on matters relating
to nutrition, and more recently, household food security and
livelihoods. They seek to work more closely to develop guidelines
and training materials; incorporate food security, nutrition and
livelihoods considerations in the UN Inter-Agency Standing
Committee (IASC) working group on HIV/AIDS; and develop nutrition
interventions, solve micronutrient problems, and support mother
and child health initiatives.


5. Comment. Congruent with recent UN initiatives to improve
coherence between funds and programs, e.g., as discussed in
January 2004 by the UN Development Group Executive Committee, the
joint letter between WFP and FAO identifies and encourages

opportunities for their respective organizations to explore and
expand their collaboration. Both benefit from this, offering
better response and services to their donors. The US Mission Rome
supports this initiative, which is directed to all of their
respective offices in the field and relevant headquarters units.
In addition to the high level statements of cooperation and
country level joint projects, the effort targets the operational
units of both agencies, which is encouraging. When cooperation
among humanitarian assistance organizations is poor, beneficiaries
suffer. However, as we have seen in the field, FAO and WFP are
learning to work well together and the hungry are most important
beneficiaries of their enhanced cooperation. Cleverley


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2004ROME01428 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED