US embassy cable - 03ROME5227

UNCLAS  ROME 005227 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
AIDAC 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 
 
AMEMBASSY DAKAR FOR AMBASSADOR ROTH AND USAID DIRECTOR 
CARDUNER 
USAID/W FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, D/A SCHIECK, AA/DCHA 
WINTER, AA/AFR NEWMAN AND DAA/AFR BROWN, AFR/WA, DCHA/D/FFP 
LANDIS, DCHA/D/OFDA, AA/GLOBAL PETERSON 
STATE FOR IO A/S HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY, A/S AF KANSTEINER, 
AF/W, IO/EDA BEHREND/KOTOK 
USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, MCHAMBLISS 
USDA/FAS ABIDJAN FOR LOPEZ 
USMISSION GENEVA FOR AMBASSADOR MOLRY AND USAID/KYLOH 
BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS AND USAID/LERNER 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN AND AFRICA DIRECTORATE 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EAGR, AORC, PREF, KUNR, MR, WFP, UN 
SUBJECT:  US Mission/Rome attends WFP-sponsored Regional 
Ministerial Conference for the Launch of the "Alliance for 
Action" on School Feeding, Health and Basic Education for 
the Sahel - Dakar, Senegal, September 9-10, 2003 
 
REF: (A) Rome 4996 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. US Mission/Rome personnel attended (September 9-10, in 
Dakar, Senegal) a WFP-sponsored Regional Ministerial 
Conference for the Launch of the "Alliance for Action" on 
School Feeding, Health and Basic Education for the Sahel. 
Nine countries of the region pledged their support to the 
effort. Delegates emphasized: a) integration of school 
feeding activities in government strategies and action 
plans, as well as in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers 
(PRSP) was essential to secure resources for this activity 
in the long term; and b) the need for collaboration at 
country level between central and local partners, as well as 
between the ministries of education and health in this 
effort. WFP's Deputy Executive Director Sheila Sisulu 
concluded the organization's interventions by re-emphasising 
that the success of the Alliance will depend on governments' 
driving force and the commitment of all partners involved. 
 
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Background 
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2. US Mission/Rome Humanitarian Attache Tim Lavelle, and 
Special Assistant to the Ambassador, Max Finberg, attended 
(Dakar, September 9-10) a WFP-sponsored Regional Ministerial 
Conference for the Launch of the Alliance for Action on 
School Feeding, Health and Basic Education, for the Sahel 
region. 
 
3. The Ministers of Education of Cape Verde, Chad, Guinea 
Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal, the Secretary- 
General of Burkina Faso's Ministry of Basic Education and 
the Permanent Secretary of The Gambia's Department of State 
for Education were present, together with representatives of 
UN agencies, donors, NGOs and the private sector. The 
conference was opened by the President of Senegal, H.E. 
Abdoulaye Wade, and chaired by the Minister of National 
Education of Mali, Mr. Mamadou Lamine Traore. 
 
4. At the end of the conference, the Ministers of Education 
and their representatives respectively adopted a Declaration 
on the "Alliance for Action on School Feeding, Health and 
Basic Education for the Sahel", as well as a document 
outlining the Alliance strategy. 
 
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Presentations 
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5. In addition to supportive interventions by the nine 
countries present, the following international partner 
comments are summarized herewith:, D/A SCHIECK, AA/DCHA 
WINTER, AA/AFR NEWMAN AND DAA/AFR BROWN, AFR/WA, DCHA/D/FFP 
LANDIS, DCHA/D/OFDA, AA/GLOBAL PETERSON 
STATE FOR IO A/S HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY, A/S AF KANSTEINER, 
AF/W, IO/EDA BEHREND/KOTOK 
USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, MC 
 
a) WFP introduced its global school feeding campaign, and 
highlighted its specific school feeding activities in the 
countries of the Sahel; 
 
b) UNESCO elaborated on the status of the Education for All 
(EFA) movement in the region and the importance of school 
feeding in this context. It expressed its willingness to 
support the Alliance at regional and country levels, and 
emphasised the importance of government commitment to the 
Alliance, government capacity building, the need for 
effective monitoring, and for mainstreaming of Alliance 
activities into ongoing initiatives to ensure their success 
and sustainability; 
 
c) UNICEF emphasised the rights-based approach towards 
education. It confirmed its commitment to ensuring that 
children are assisted not only with one piece of support, 
but with a complete minimum package of services that are 
essential for a healthy body and mind, and for an effective 
education. It pointed at the importance to involve the child 
in the design and implementation of activities, the need to 
identify effective ways of assisting children in emergency 
situations, and the need to accelerate the various existing 
international initiatives in support of education, such as 
the World Bank Fast Track and the UNICEF 25/2005 
Initiatives; 
 
d) WHO presented the progress that has been made over the 
last decades in combating diseases like schistosomiasis and 
helminth infections. It emphasised that non-medical 
personnel, such as teachers, can easily administer treatment 
and prevention programmes, which are highly effective, low 
cost and harmless interventions. WHO also introduced the 
Partners in Parasite Control (PPC) Initiative, a forum owned 
by countries where intestinal parasites are endemic, 
technically supported by WHO, and open to any agency or 
institution that subscribes to the goals, as well as the 
private sector. Its goal is to reach at least 75 percent of 
school-age children at risk of morbidity by the year 2010 
through intestinal parasite treatment programmes. WHO 
concluded by stating that a meeting like this was long 
overdue and that the Alliance document is an excellent basis 
to move the goals and concepts forward in a fast manner; 
 
e) FAO supported the Alliance and suggested school gardens 
to be an integral part of the assistance to schoolchildren 
where feasible. FAO presented the objectives of school 
gardens and effective approaches to promoting them, and 
described the difference between school gardens and school 
farms; 
 
f) The World Bank provided comprehensive information on 
their EFA Fast Track Initiative; 
 
g) The U.S. delegation described the rationale behind and 
the magnitude of U.S. support to school feeding both 
domestically and in support of developing countries. It 
applauded this initiative and the individuals who are movingCLAS SECTION 
03 OF 03 ROME 005227 
 
AIDAC 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 
 
AMEMBASSY DAKAR FOR AMBASSADOR ROTH AND USAID DIRECTOR 
CARDUNER 
USAID/W FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, D/A SCHIECK, AA/DCHA 
WINTER, AA/AFR NEWMAN AND DAA/AFR BROWN, AFR/WA, DCHA/D/FFP 
LANDIS, DCHA/D/OFDA, AA/GLOBAL PETERSON 
STATE FOR IO A/S HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY, A/S AF KANSTEINER, 
AF/W, IO/EDA BEHREND/KOTOK 
USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, MCHAMBLISS 
USDA/FAS ABIDJAN FOR LOPEZ 
USMISSION GENEVA FOR AMBASSA 
 
it forward and reiterated the U.S. commitment in combating 
the problem of chronic hunger. However, it was pointed out 
that the U.S. McGovern-Dole International Food for Education 
and Child Nutrition Program does not include funding for any 
of the Sahel countries this year. 
 
h) The regional NGO network ENDA introduced their work 
portfolio and described in particular support networks, 
advocacy and sensitisation activities around the school, 
which they are facilitating and assisting; 
 
i) Finally, The New Partnership for Africa (NEPAD) 
Secretariat emphasised the great potential of School Feeding 
 
SIPDIS 
to stimulate increased enrolment and regular attendance of 
children from poor families. School feeding programmes are 
seen as a means to empower people and stimulate economic 
recovery across Africa in the long run. 
 
6. In general, the nine countries pledged their support to 
the effort. Overall, delegates emphasized: a) integration of 
school feeding activities in government strategies and 
action plans, as well as in Poverty Reduction Strategy 
Papers (PRSP) was essential to secure resources for this 
activity in the long term; and b) the need for collaboration 
at country level between central and local partners, as well 
as between the ministries of education and health in this 
effort. 
 
7. WFP's Deputy Executive Director Sheila Sisulu concluded 
the organization's interventions by re-emphasising that the 
success of the Alliance will depend on governments' driving 
force and the commitment of all partners involved. 
 
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Comment 
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8. We applaud WFP's efforts in facilitating the preparation 
of an "Alliance for Action" for the Sahel. Big steps have 
already been taken in support to primary education by the 
governments of a number of Sahelian countries. The 
conference's subtle message: "let's not let the momentum 
slide." And, at least one donor has stepped forward smartly. 
Italy, at the Third Regular Session of the WFP Executive 
Board (ref A) announced that it was donating euros 2 million 
(USD 2.3 million) in support of WFP's Sahel school feeding 
initiative.  Hall 
 
 
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 2003ROME05227 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED