"The Rome-based organizations are determined to mobilize their energies to work towards the shared goal of the International Alliance Against Hunger. We invite all stakeholders to join us in the battle against hunger."

In this interview Ms Eva Clayton, Special Advisor to the Director General of FAO on the World Food Summit Follow-up, Mr Cyril Enweze, Vice-President of IFAD, Mr Emile Frison, Director-General of IPGRI and Ms Sheila Sisulu, Deputy Executive Director Policy and External Affairs Department of WFP give a collective view on partnerships and the International Alliance Against Hunger, main theme of this year's World Food Day.

How does your agency understand the concept of partnerships?

Ms Eva Clayton: FAO advocates a bottom-up approach in which alliances and partnerships at the national level feed into an international effort. This is the basic concept of the International Alliance Against Hunger (IAAH) which is the theme of this year's World Food Day. Forming national alliances and partnerships means joining the strengths of many to create the political will to end hunger. UN System agencies, Governments and civil society groups ranging from farmers' organizations to religious groups to research institutes and the private sector are major players in the effort to fight against poverty and hunger.

Mr Cyril Enweze: IFAD is dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries. But this goal cannot be achieved through the actions of a single development agency alone. It demands a multi-disciplinary approach and coordinated action - rural poverty will be eradicated only as a result of collective effort. Governments, United Nations agencies, international and regional financial institutions, civil society, the private sector and rural poor people themselves must work in partnership, building on and enhancing their diverse strengths and expertise.

IFAD places great importance on partnerships not only in the implementation of its field operations, but also at the policy level, especially in its work to advocate for pro-poor changes in policies and institutions, and for mobilizing political and financial support for the eradication of rural poverty. In these domains, partnerships with individuals and organizations, in particular non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society, are a key to success at the national, regional and international levels.

Ms Sheila Sisulu: Partnerships are crucial to the work of the World Food Programme to tackle hunger. Every single one of our projects is a partnership between the communities in need, their government, non-governmental organizations (both local and international), sister agencies of the United Nations, donors and the World Food Programme. In the true spirit of partnership, each of the partners brings their particular skill and resources to meeting the needs of hungry people in the most effective way possible. Our partnerships are not just operational, however. More and more frequently, partnerships extend into advocacy on hunger in decision-making fora such as the UN Security Council, G8, NEPAD and parliamentary groups.

Mr Emile Frison: For IPGRI partnerships are not only crucial but they are absolutely central to the way we work. We have no laboratories or field stations of our own. As WFP, all our work is done through and with partners. These include other agencies, development organizations, national agricultural research systems and, of course, the farmers and rural people for whom we work. In all its partnerships IPGRI seeks to make use of the individual strengths of each of the partners. We also build in a considerable amount of training so that everybody benefits from their participation, both directly and in terms of increased skills for future work. More than that, though, we strongly believe that all partners are strengthened by the exchanges that take place, and as a result all constantly improve as they learn from one another.

Could you give some examples of existing or foreseen partnerships implemented by your organization?

Ms. Clayton: Since 1999, there have been a total of 75 joint initiatives between FAO and IFAD, 65 between FAO and WFP and 7 between IFAD and WFP. Today, these collaborations keep growing fast. FAO has also built many other partnerships with other agencies. We can mention, among others, the FAO-UNESCO "Education for Rural People" programme, the various collaborations with the WHO in the promotion of numerous researches on nutrition and food security and other collaborations with ILO on agriculture workers. Recently, as a follow up to the International Year of the Mountains in 2002, governments, international organizations, NGOs and several networks launched the "Mountain Partnership", during a conference organized on 5-6 October 2003 in Merano, Italy. The Secretariat of this Partnership will be hosted FAO.

FAO is also developing the Partnerships for Improving Application of Biotechnology in Agriculture, the Partnerships for the Fisheries Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS). It monitors the Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and implements the Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System (FIVIMS). FAO hosts the Secretariats of several multilateral mechanisms such as the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), the Technical Advisory Committee of the CGIAR, the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).

A network, the UN System Network on Rural Development and Food Security, was specifically set up to promote coordination among UN agencies and with NGO and civil society organizations to strengthen interagency partnerships in the fight to alleviate poverty and hunger in the world. This Network was created in 1997 by the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Network (today the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination) and is managed by FAO, in close collaboration with IFAD, WFP and the International Land Coalition. It acts as a follow-up mechanism for the World Food Summit Plan of Action, which called for coordinated and focused action by development partners at the country level to secure "food for all".

FAO is also giving wide support and assistance to the two campaigns recently launched by NGOs and civil society organizations to fight hunger and poverty: the "More and Better" campaign and the "Africa can Nourish itself" initiative. (For more information, please read the interview on the NGO/CSO advocacy campaigns included in this update)

Ms Sheila Sisulu: WFP has a long history of collaboration with other UN agencies. Our natural and historic partners are the FAO and IFAD, whose mandates neatly complement our work assessing crops and food supplies, mapping vulnerability and improving food security. We have a long-established partnership with UNHCR to feed refugees and IDPs. We work with UNICEF and WHO on health and nutrition, with UNAIDS on using food to help people affected by HIV/AIDS and with UNESCO using food as an incentive for education. WFP is an active member in most inter-agency bodies, ensuring that humanitarian responses are coordinated in the best interests of people in need.

We have also initiated partnerships with private companies such as Dutch mail and logistics giant, TPG, drawing on their knowledge and expertise to better serve the hungry. Italian clothing manufacturer, Benetton, helped us to better promote our message to the public at large through a print and advertising campaign. Celebrated sports heroes and musicians have also joined WFP's efforts to fight hunger. WFP has teamed up with the International Rugby World Cup 2003 and musicians Keiko Matsui (Japan) and Cesaria Evora (Cape Verde) have recently lent their talents to the cause. Perhaps the 'unsung heroes' in our partnerships are the more than 1,000 local and 200 international non-governmental organizations that work alongside beneficiaries delivering humanitarian food day in, day out.

Mr Emile Frison: One of our most productive partnerships at the moment is a global effort to make more use of so-called neglected and underutilized species. These are crops, often well adapted to local conditions that have been sidestepped by mainstream agricultural research. The project is supported by IFAD and is working in six countries around the globe. In each, stakeholder meetings have identified particular crops and niches to explore in order to improve livelihoods. So, for example, in Egypt the focus is on medicinal plants and herbs, while in Bolivia the work is on Andean grains such as quinoa.

In every case, IPGRI and its partners are establishing a virtuous circle. The use of crop diversity improves the reliability and value of the harvest for farmers. It also improves their own diet, directly and by enhancing their incomes. In nearby cities, the availability of nutritious foods at lower cost gives urban dwellers access to healthier food that helps them be more productive. And the environment benefits too because the farming systems are more sustainable.

Mr Cyril Enweze: At the policy level, IFAD works with other UN agencies and development partners to draw greater attention to rural poverty. For example, IFAD collaborated with FAO and WFP to develop a common agenda on hunger, food security and rural poverty for the International Conference on Financing for Development, held in 2002 in Monterrey, Mexico. At that conference, world leaders reaffirmed the need for more resources to support development and poverty reduction. IFAD also works closely with FAO and WFP in the field. This includes sharing information in programme development, joint design of projects and use of national staff.

Also very important is the World Bank-IFAD Partnership Initiative, which includes project co-financing, support for Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), thematic studies and global advocacy for rural development. IFAD has established a new partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank and other bilateral and multilateral agencies for eradication of rural poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean.

As Mrs. Sisulu mentioned before, two new and evolving partnerships include NEPAD at the regional level and the G-8 at the global level. NGOs and civil society organizations and movements are also valued partners in operations, policy dialogue and advocacy.

A very innovative partnership launched by IFAD is the International Land Coalition, formerly the Popular Coalition to Eradicate Hunger and Poverty. The Coalition is a global alliance of intergovernmental, governmental and civil society organizations which work with rural poor people to increase their secure access to natural resources, especially land. The Coalition is also supported by the UN System Network.

IFAD houses the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which acts as an international broker to help the UNCCD member countries, particularly the poorest countries, find the resources needed to arrest the downward spiral of land degradation and resulting poverty. In addition to its relationship with the GM, IFAD is an executing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), making it uniquely placed to link projects addressing land degradation, which have global environmental benefits, to poverty reduction and development concerns.

How can the International Alliance Against Hunger support and promote these partnerships?

Mr Cyril Enweze: The IAAH represents another opportunity to work together towards the common goal of eradicating hunger and poverty. The IAAH could enhance IFAD's efforts to work with NGOs to draw greater attention to rural development and agriculture in relation to aid, trade, investment, debt relief, the Poverty Reduction Strategies, and other areas. This potential has already been demonstrated by the advocacy campaign by international NGOs for more and better aid for agriculture to eradicate hunger and rural poverty. Plans to mount campaigns at national level are welcomed by IFAD in support of policy dialogue and advocacy.

Mr Emile Frison: The IAAH, by mobilizing public opinion and political will, can ensure that good results are taken up and spread far and wide. The essence of partnerships is to share the load and to bring specialized expertise to bear on the issues at hand. By working together to fight hunger and improve livelihoods we can all ensure that the Millennium Development Goals are met sooner rather than later.

Ms Sheila Sisulu: The IAAH is an important platform to highlight the vital role that partners of all shapes and sizes can play in the fight against hunger. By providing a point of entry for groups who would like to help, but don't know how to do so, the Alliance is tapping into potential sources of support and expertise that may hold part of the solution to the problem of world hunger. As a forum where those already involved in the effort can share their experience and needs, it helps us strive for ever-better service to the hungry poor.

Ms Clayton: Clearly, no new mechanisms are needed to fight hunger. The Alliance will strengthen political commitment for existing initiatives. At the same time it helps partners to develop a common vision on measures to take and build cooperation among diverse groups.

The Alliance can also provide a forum for advocacy, promote joint actions by its members and facilitate information exchange - through Web sites, newsletters and progress reports. Partners of the Alliance can offer assistance in their spheres of competence, which may include technical training, policy advice and monitoring the progress of hunger reduction strategies. Together, these activities will help to attract increased funding from financing institutions, the private sector and other donors.

As mentioned in the Joint Statement of the Rome-based organizations on the IAAH, "The Alliance will work towards building a hunger and poverty reduction constituency within countries and at the international level to support sustainable livelihoods and advocate relentlessly for urgent action towards eradicating hunger and poverty. In so doing, the Alliance plans to leverage the influence of broad segments of societies and of the international community to encourage donor and recipient countries alike to exert their political will and devote their resources to this end."

To read the joint statement made on World Food Day 2003 by FAO, IFAD, IPGRI and WFP on the International Alliance Against Hunger, please click here.