G8 L'AQUILA SUMMIT FOOD SECURITY: AUSTRALIA

UNCLAS CANBERRA 001047 SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHITE HOUSE FOR GAYLE SMITH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EAID AS SUBJECT: G8 L'AQUILA SUMMIT FOOD SECURITY: AUSTRALIA RESPONSE REF: A. SECSTATE 120804 ¶B. CANBERRA 836 ¶C. CANBERRA 559 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Australia,s estimated commitment emanating from L,Aquila on food security programs is A$464 million for food aid (ref C). Australia believes that food aid should be included and is seeking clarification of the criteria used to calculate the amount, which depending on the method could be closer to A$800 million. The government has committed the funding but not yet broken it down by year. AUSAID is planning to attend the Rome meetings, but has not yet decided to attend Kigali. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Econoff spoke with Rebecca Bryant, Acting Assistant Director General for Sustainable Development at AUSAID, on November 23. Bryant said Australia has two questions it is seeking answers to in regard to the EU framework for the $20 billion G8 L'Aquila commitment. The first is timing - Bryant said the government had not reached a consensus that the period of the commitments envisioned was 2010-2013 or could be extended beyond that timeframe. Second, the government wants to know whether countries should include their existing food aid programs in the overall commitment. Including existing food aid would roughly double the estimated A$464 million now in the Australian budget specifically earmarked for food security programs. Further, Bryant said, the government is examining whether existing programs on trade and market access should be included in the total commitment estimate as well. ¶3. (SBU) Australia is planning to attend the Rome meetings, but Bryant had not heard of the Kigali meetings and had no information on whether the GOA would attend. Bryant said the government hoped to have completed their reconciliation of assistance against the EU framework by December 3, but could not commit to a firm declaration of total assistance under the L'Aquila framework. BLEICH