PARTNERING FOR GLOBAL HUNGER AND FOOD SECURITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 STATE 107298 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR EAID ETRD SUBJECT: PARTNERING FOR GLOBAL HUNGER AND FOOD SECURITY ACTION REQUEST STATE 00107298 001.2 OF 005 ¶1. Summary. On September 25-26 in New York, Secretary Clinton introduced the USG approach to combating global hunger and promoting food security. The Secretary underscored that a key component of the U.S. plan is the support of country-led programs through strong partnerships and collaborations with other countries as well as with international organizations, NGOs, foundations, universities, and the private sector. She invited the entire global community to work together in support of the goal of combating hunger. Thus far, we have received tremendous support from partners for this initiative. End Summary. ¶2. Action Request: In order to continue this momentum, Posts are requested to deliver to host country Foreign Minister or other appropriate Ministerial-level official the letter in paragraph 7. As an enclosure to the letter, please provide the proposal in paragraph 7 titled Partnering for Food Security: Moving Forward. Our near-term goal is to use the proposal to inform the World Food Security summit declaration to be issued at the Food and Agricultural Organization in Rome November 16-18. When delivering the letter, we ask that Posts reiterate our vision and goals for combating hunger and increasing sustainable levels of food security and seek comments, questions, and suggestions, which will help to shape our future actions. Please report responses by October 28 to Ann Ryan, EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT, Marisa Plowden, Office of the Counselor, Robert Hagen and John Tuminaro of IO, and copy U.S. Mission UN in Rome. End Action Request. ¶3. On September 25, the Secretary delivered a speech at the Clinton Global Initiative that outlined our strategy and set forth the key principles guiding our approach and that of many other countries: country-led plans, a comprehensive approach to food security, strategic coordination of assistance, a strong role for multilateral institutions, and a sustained and accountable commitment of financial resources. These principles were agreed to by 26 countries at the G8 plus meeting in LAquila, Italy in July 2009. To open the speech, the Department unveiled a short video that tells the story of why hunger and food security are critical issues that we must act on now. We encourage you to share it broadly in host countries (see paragraph 6). ¶4. The Secretary and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon co-hosted a Partnering for Global Food Security event on September 26. Held at the UN, it took place on the margins of the UN General Assembly. The event drew representatives from more than 130 countries, including more than 50 at the ministerial level or above an impressive turn-out on this issue. Representatives of the private sector, foundations, NGOs, universities, and international organizations also participated. In addition to the Secretary and the UN Secretary General, there were 14 speakers representing the following countries and organizations: Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal, Sweden, the UK, the European Commission, the World Bank, the World Food Program, and the Gates Foundation. All speakers addressed one of the five principles agreed to at the LAquila Summit in July and which are guiding the U.S. plan. A transcript of the event can be found on our website (see paragraph 6). ¶5. Secretary Clinton closed the meeting at the UN by calling on all stakeholders to act in an expeditious manner over the coming months. She emphasized that we cannot let the quest for a perfect plan become the enemy of a good plan -- action is what is most important. To that end, she and the Secretary General put forth a proposed plan, Partnering for Food Security: Moving Forward (see letter in paragraph 7). We would like to draw on this document to shape our approach moving forward, including at the World Food Security Summit that will take place November 16-18 at the FAO in Rome. ¶6. In dialogues with host governments and other stakeholders in country, please share the consultation document posted on our website which describes the elements of our approach, and invite feedback. In addition to the consultation document, Posts can access the Secretarys speech and other resources at STATE 00107298 002.2 OF 005 http://www.state.gov/s/globalfoodsecurity. Posts should also flag these resources for Public Affairs Officers. Talking points (available on INFOCENTRAL) are copied below for Posts to draw on in conversations. Please report feedback to Ann Ryan, EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT; Marisa Plowden, Office of the Counselor; and Robert Hagen and John Tuminaro, IO, copying U.S. Mission UN Rome. ¶7. Begin text of letter: Dear Mr. / Madam Minister: I greatly appreciate the participation of more than 130 countries at the Partnering for Food Security event that I co-hosted with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on September 26. Participants at the event expressed broad support for the five key principles for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to end global hunger through country-led food security strategies, as agreed to by more than 25 countries and organizations at the G8 Summit in LAquila, Italy. These principles include support for country-led processes; a comprehensive approach to global hunger and food security; strategic coordination of assistance; support for a strong role for multilateral institutions; and a sustained and accountable commitment of financial resources. Building on this support, I am sharing with you a proposal from the Secretary-General and myself for putting these principles into action. We have an opportunity at the November 16-18 World Food Summit to build on this momentum through timely endorsement by the entire UN membership of the five principles and for moving forward as outlined in this proposal. I appreciate your support and partnership and look forward to hearing your views. Sincerely yours, Hillary Rodham Clinton Enclosure: Proposal BEGIN TEXT OF ENCLOSURE: Partnering for Food Security: Moving Forward, A proposal from United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon At the G8 plus meeting held in LAquila in July 2009, a joint statement was endorsed which expressed the commitment of participants to take decisive action to free humankind from hunger and poverty through improving food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture, and to work together to: 1) support country-led processes; 2) ensure a comprehensive approach to food security; 3) strategically coordinate assistance; 4) support a strong role for multilateral institutions; and 5) sustain a robust commitment of financial resources, including $20 billion in resources pledged at the G8 Summit. We convened a meeting in New York on September 26 to broaden support for these principles and to move this agenda forward. Points of Agreement - We support the principles of the LAquila Joint Statement on Global Food Security. - We agree to continue building a Global Partnership for Agriculture and Food Security (GPAFS),which includes support for the ongoing Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Committee on Food Security (CFS) reform processes and the work of the UN High Level Task Force (HLTF). - We have a common understanding of the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to improving global food security one that includes agricultural development, research, trade, social safety nets, emergency food assistance, and nutrition. - In Africa, we recognize that the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) provides a framework through which we will coordinate our support for agriculture and food security, and we will support similar efforts in other regions. - Consistent with the Accra Agenda for Action, we will work through, and in support of, country-led processes and build on existing platforms. STATE 00107298 003.2 OF 005 The Way Forward We propose the following steps to move these principles into action: - Intensify support for ongoing efforts to advance effective country-led and regional strategies; develop country investment plans and programs to achieve the goals of these strategies; ensure mutual accountability through public benchmarks, indicators, and a peer review framework to measure progress; and, develop a flexible financing architecture that includes well-coordinated bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to support these integrated country-led strategies and investment plans. - Support and expand North-South, South-South and Trilateral cooperation for the development and implementation of country-led, comprehensive plans. - Work with regional economic communities, associations, organizations and agencies to strengthen their mechanisms for financial and technical cooperation with donors and other stakeholders to support country- led strategies and investment plans and to facilitate regional economic integration. - Support the on-going reform processes aimed at improved efficiency and effectiveness of existing international organizations and agencies, including the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and FAO. - Strengthen international coordination on financing and joint actions in global processes, including through the framework of the UN High Level Task Force. - Adhere to the commitment of $20 billion over three years through a coordinated, comprehensive strategy focused on sustainable agriculture development, while keeping a strong commitment to ensure adequate emergency food aid assistance, in accord with the LAquila statement. - Monitor and evaluate our contributions to ensure transparency and accountability. END TEXT OF ENCLOSURE. ¶8. Posts may draw from the following talking points, as needed, in discussions with government officials and interlocutors in host countries. Posts may also distribute the documents available at the website (See paragraph 6) as appropriate. Talking Points The Opportunity More than one billion people - one sixth of the worlds population -- suffer from chronic hunger. It keeps adults from being able to work, children from being able to learn, and society from reaching its potential. Global food supplies need to increase by an estimated 50 percent to meet expected demand by 2030. Rates of agricultural growth are declining and will face further challenges due to competition for resources, such as water, and from temperature and precipitation extremes due to climate change. Advancing sustainable agriculture is a powerful tool increasing availability and accessibility of food and reducing poverty. Collective Global Action Momentum is building for global action. Leaders of developing countries have recognized the need to invest in their own food security. At the 2009 LAquila G8 Summit, donors committed $20 billion to reduce hunger and improve nutrition. The summit catalyzed new financial commitments and laid the foundation for a fresh approach. Global interest in this issue continues to grow more than 130 countries attended an event Partnering for Global Food Security co-hosted by Secretary Clinton and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations STATE 00107298 004.2 OF 005 on September 26. United States Commitment President Obama announced that the United States would commit $3.5 billion over 3 years to agricultural development. At the Presidents request, Secretary Clinton has been leading a whole-of-government effort to build a comprehensive plan. Our commitment to emergency and humanitarian food assistance will not be affected by this investment. The President and I are committed to working with partners across sectors to advance and execute country- led plans. Currently, the USG is working with stakeholders on an action plan to address the needs of small scale agricultural producers, particularly women, who are 70 percent of small-holder rural farmers, and their families. Environment The United States is committed to environmental stewardship and protecting the natural resource base upon which agriculture depends. We recognize that agriculture is inextricably linked to climate change and is a driver of deforestation. We will need to work harder to use land more efficiently; revitalize the productivity of soils; conserve biodiversity, pollinators and fish stock; and adapt to climate change. We also recognize the multiple challenges we face with regard to water usage, including melting glaciers, droughts, competition for water between cities, rural areas, and countries. Principles for Advancing Global Food Security ¶1. Invest in country-led plans; ¶2. Adopt a comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying causes of hunger and includes advancing agricultural development, reducing under-nutrition, and increasing the impact of humanitarian food assistance; ¶3. Strengthen strategic coordination; ¶4. Leverage the benefits of multilateral institutions; and ¶5. Make sustained and accountable commitments. Sustainable Solutions We will work with other governments, multinational institutions, NGOs, and especially rural farmers to: Reduce hunger sustainably Raise the incomes of the rural poor Reduce the number of children suffering from under-nutrition To achieve these goals, we will act to: Advance agriculture-led growth through increased investment across the agricultural production and market chain; focus on post-harvest infrastructure, protecting the natural resource base, developing climate-resilient agricultural systems, and harnessing the potential of women to contribute to economic growth. Reduce under-nutrition by increasing access to diverse and quality foods, and enabling countries and communities to prevent, identify, and treat under- nutrition. Increase the impact of humanitarian assistance through improved global coordination, strengthened government capacity to mitigate and prevent hunger crises, and increased local and regional procurement. Supporting Country Leadership Country-led plans enable countries to identify their own solutions, increase the sustainability of investments, and strengthen coordination. STATE 00107298 005.2 OF 005 Leveraging the Benefits of Multilateral Institutions Reducing hunger requires collective action and long-term commitments. Multilateral institutions complement bilateral activities and promote broader action, can engage in countries where we do not have presence, and develop expertise and replicate successful approaches. The United States will invest in and encourage others to contribute to multilateral institutions that support agriculture-led economic growth. The World Bank is developing a multilateral trust fund that we anticipate will support innovative bilateral and multilateral efforts to build sustainable agricultural systems, including programs like those developed through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP). The Way Forward The challenge of reducing global hunger and building sustained economic growth cannot be accomplished alone. Our actions and those of others must be coordinated, sustained, transparent, and inclusive. o Corruption devastates efforts to grow economies and reduce hunger for the poor. Donors and partners must engage in transparent and accountable actions. o If you agree with our approach, we ask that you consider supporting the advancing of this approach in appropriate venues, including the November 16-18 food security summit hosted by the FAO in Rome. End Text. ¶9. (U) Minimize considered. CLINTON