US embassy cable - 04ROME1428

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