Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CANBERRA1199
2008-12-01 04:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Canberra
Cable title:  

AUSTRALIA RESPONSE ON GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR AGRICULTURE

Tags:  EAGR EAID ECON ETRD AS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBY #1199 3360430
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010430Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0591
INFO RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS CANBERRA 001199 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EEB M LURIE, J SPECK, USDA FOR K MILLER
STATE PLEASE PASS USAID FOR B HAMMINK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON ETRD AS
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA RESPONSE ON GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR AGRICULTURE
AND FOOD

REF: A) STATE 123480 B) CANBERRA 1194

UNCLAS CANBERRA 001199

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EEB M LURIE, J SPECK, USDA FOR K MILLER
STATE PLEASE PASS USAID FOR B HAMMINK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON ETRD AS
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA RESPONSE ON GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR AGRICULTURE
AND FOOD

REF: A) STATE 123480 B) CANBERRA 1194


1. (SBU) The following is the written response to ref A demarche on
behalf of the GOA, provided to Embassy by AusAID following our
November 26 meeting (ref B).

Begin text of GOA response:

"1. The Australian Government is generally supportive of improved
coordination and increased transparency in implementation of food
and agriculture activities by donors and of efforts to ensure
harmonised donor responses to the food crisis, particularly at the
country and regional level.


2. Australia has already expressed its support for the
Comprehensive Framework for Action (CFA) as devised by the UN HLTF
on food and has structured its own response to food insecurity
around this approach. Australia thought that the small but senior
HLTF performed very well in the development and presentation of the
CFA.


3. To the extent that the Global Partnership on Agriculture and Food
represents an implementation mechanism for the CFA and to the extent
that it can help achieve closer coordination, improve transparency
in donor activities and encourage donor harmonisation, we are
supportive. In particular we support the idea of an inclusive
partnership with clear links to bilateral and multilateral agencies,
non-government organisations, academic institutions and the private
sector. We strongly encourage an efficient approach with minimal
overheads and no new headquarters. We can also see the benefits of
the HLTF providing technical and administrative support to the GPAF,
and possibly serving as its secretariat.



4. Ministerial approval would need to be sought before a definitive
response could be provided by the Australian Government on
membership of the GPAF. In the meantime we would warmly welcome an
invitation to attend the first GPAF meeting in early 2009. We would
also welcome an opportunity to discuss the proposal in more detail.
Some issues we'd be interested in exploring further include:

-- what the GPAF would do and how its work would translate to action
on the ground at country and regional level

-- how the GPAF would relate to the range of multilateral
institutions and committees that already exist in this arena, eg.
IFAD, FAO, WFP, the World Bank's GFRP, the Committee on Food
Security

-- what type of commitment membership of (sic) this partnership
would require."

End text of GOA response.

MCCALLUM