US embassy cable - 02ROME3566

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 003566 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 
 
STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, DAS/IO SANDERS AND IO/D 
USAID FOR A/AID, AA/DCHA, AA/AFR, DCHA/FFP, PPC/DP, PPC/DC 
USDA/FAS/FOR CHAMBLISS/TILLSWORTH 
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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BRUSSELS FOR USAID 
USUN FOR LSHESTACK 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN 
OMB FOR TSTOLL 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EAGR, AORC, PREF, EAGR, AORC, PREF, KUNR, WFP, UN, KUNR    EAID, WFP, UN 
SUBJECT:  REVISED UNHCR-WFP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 
SIGNED ON JULY 9 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. UNHCR AND WFP SIGNED A REVISED MEMORANDUM ON JULY 9 
AIMED AT FURTHER STRENGTHENING COOPERATION IN THE PROVISION 
OF FOOD AID FOR REFUGEES AND RETURNEES WORLDWIDE. ON A 
PILOT ONE-YEAR TRIAL BASIS, WFP WILL ASSUME FULL 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BASIC FOOD 
RATION IN FIVE REFUGEE PROGRAMS. UNHCR WILL FULLY INVOLVE 
WFP IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF REFUGEE ENUMERATION, 
REGISTRATION AND VERIFICATION EXERCISES FOR ACTUAL OR 
POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES OF FOOD AID AND RELATED NON-FOOD 
ITEMS. FURTHER, WFP AND UNHCR WILL TAKE MEASURES TO ENSURE 
THAT AT LEAST 80 PER CENT OF FOOD INPUTS ARE DIRECTLY 
MANAGED BY THE ADULT FEMALE IN THE HOUSEHOLD. END SUMMARY. 
 
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BACKGROUND 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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2. RUUD LUBBERS, UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) 
AND JIM MORRIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORLD FOOD PROGRAM 
(WFP) SIGNED ON JULY 9 A REVISED MEMORANDUM OF 
UNDERSTANDING AIMED AT STRENGTHERNING COPPERATION AT THE 
FIELD LEVEL IN DELIVERING FOOD AID TO REFUGEES, RETURNEES 
AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) WORLDWIDE. THIS 
REVISION UPDATES A PREVIOUS MOU INITIALLY SIGNED IN 1985 
AND AMENDED IN 1992, 1994 AND 1997. NOTE: FODAG HAS E- 
MAILED COPIES OF THE REVISED MOU TO STATE/PRM, USDA/FAS AND 
DCHA/FFP - AND WILL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE COPY TO ALL USG 
PARTNERS UPON REQUEST. END NOTE. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2002 NEWLY REVISED UNHCR-WFP MOU 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
3. HEREWITH THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2002 REVISED UNHCR-WFP 
MOU, AS FOLLOWS: 
 
A) "WFP AND UNHCR WILL TAKE MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT, TO THE 
EXTENT POSSIBLE AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE DEMOGRAPHIC 
PROFILE OF THE BENEFICIARY POPULATION, AT LEAST 80 PER 
CENT OF FOOD INPUTS ARE DIRECTLY MANAGED BY THE ADULT 
FEMALE IN THE HOUSEHOLD; 
B) UNHCR WILL FULLY INVOLVE WFP IN THE PLANNING AND 
EXECUTION OF REFUGEE ENUMERATION, REGISTRATION AND 
VERIFICATION EXERCISES FOR ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL 
BENEFICIARIES OF FOOD AID AND RELATED NON-FOOD ITEMS; 
C) WFP WILL BE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLANNING AND 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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IMPLEMENTATION OF REPATRIATION OPERATIONS, PARTICULARLY 
WITH REGARD TO TIMING, SECURITY AND OTHER COMPONENTS THAT 
WOULD AFFECT FOOD AID PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION; 
D) UNHCR WILL ENSURE THE FULL INVOLVEMENT AND THE EFFECTIVE 
PARTICIPATION OF WFP STAFF IN BOTH THE PLANNING AND THE 
EXECUTION OF THE NUTRITIONAL SURVEYS, AND IN THE ANALYSIS 
OR INTERPRETATION AND DISSEMINATION OF THE RESULTS; 
E) THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD COMMODITIES WILL BE 
NORMALLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AN IMPLEMENTING PARTNER OF 
UNHCR (EXCEPT IN THOSE COUNTRIES SELECTED FOR THE PILOT 
ACTIVITIES MENTIONED IN F BELOW), WHOSE DESIGNATION SHALL 
BE JOINTLY AGREED UPON BY UNHCR AND WFP; 
F) ON A PILOT BASIS AND FOR AN INITIAL DURATION OF 12 MONTHS 
(PER COUNTRY), WFP WILL ASSUME, AT ITS OWN COST, 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BASIC 
FOOD RATION IN FIVE REFUGEE PROGRAMMES. THE PILOT COUNTRY 
PROGRAMMES WILL BE SELECTED JOINTLY BY UNHCR AND WFP 
BASED UPON JOINTLY AGREED CRITERIA AND IN CONSULTATION 
WITH THE CONCERNED WFP/UNHCR COUNTRY TEAMS; 
G) UNHCR AND WFP FIELD STAFF WILL UNDERTAKE PERIODIC JOINT 
MONITORING ACTIVITIES AT THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITES 
(WHICH INCLUDES FOOD BASKET MONITORING ACTIVITIES) AND AT 
THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL (WHICH INCLUDES POST-DISTRIBUTION 
MONITORING OF THE END USE OF THE DISTRIBUTED 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ4999 
 
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ACTION PRM-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AGRE-00  AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  COME-00 
      CTME-00  WHA-00   SRPP-00  EB-00    EUR-00   OIGO-00  E-00 
      UTED-00  TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OES-01 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   SSO-00   STR-00   TEST-00  TRSE-00  USIE-00 
      FMP-00   SAS-00     /004W 
                  ------------------CD619A  190649Z /38 
P 190645Z JUL 02 
FM AMEMBASSY ROME 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4970 
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE 
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 
AMEMBASSY BERN 
USDA FAS WASHDC 2228 
USEU BRUSSELS 2753 
USMISSION GENEVA 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 003566 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 
 
STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, DAS/IO SANDERS AND IO/D 
USAID FOR A/AID, AA/DCHA, AA/AFR, DCHA/FFP, PPC/DP, PPC/DC 
USDA/FAS/FOR CHAMBLISS/TILLSWORTH 
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  03566  02 OF 02  190646Z 
BRUSSELS FOR USAID 
USUN FOR LSHESTACK 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN 
OMB FOR TSTOLL 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS:     EAID, EAGR, AORC, WFP, UN, PREF, KUNR 
SUBJECT:  REVISED UNHCR-WFP MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 
SIGNED ON JULY 9 
 
COMMODITIES)." 
 
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COMMENT 
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4. WHO CONTROLS THE FINAL DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD TO REFUGEES, 
RETURNEES AND IDPS HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY A POINT OF UNHCR- 
WFP CONTENTION. WHEN THEN HIGH COMMISSIONER OGATA ADDRESSED 
THE WFP BOARD IN OCTOBER 1996 SHE AFFIRMED UNHCR'S LEAD 
POSITION: "I FEEL QUITE STRONGLY THAT RETAINING 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISTRIBUTION, WHETHER OF FOOD OR NON- 
FOOD ITEMS, IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE DISCHARGE OF MY MANDATE." 
THIS MOU MOVES BEYOND THIS "BARRIER" (AND IN USMISSION'S 
VIEW WISELY SO) IN CONFIRMING WFP'S LEAD IN FINAL FOOD AID 
DISTRIBUTION IN FIVE REFUGEE SETTINGS ON A ONE-YEAR PILOT 
BASIS. MOREOVER, "IF (AS THE UN PRESS RELEASE ON THE 
SIGNING COMMENTED) THE NEW DIVISION OF LABOR PROVES MORE 
EFFECTIVE, WFP WILL TAKE OVER THE TASK (I.E., FINAL FOOD 
AID DISTRIBUTION IN ALL WFP/UNHCR PROGRAMS) WORLDWIDE." 
TAMLYN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2002ROME03566 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED