World Food Programme meets with NGO partners

[Photo by WFP/Paul Rossi]

World Food Programme (WFP) conducted its ninth annual consultation with major NGO partners from 15 to 17 November, 2004 at WFP headquarters in Rome, Italy.

This year's consultation gathered 29 participants from the NGO community, most of which have signed global collaborative agreements with WFP, five observers from other international and United Nations organisations, and a number of WFP staff. This consultation forms part of WFP's ongoing efforts to foster a fruitful dialogue and collaboration with its NGO partners, following a comprehensive stakeholder survey.

Ms Sheila Sisulu, Deputy Executive Director of the Department of Policy and External Affairs, opened the annual consultation, which was chaired by Mr Allan Jury, Director of the Division of External Relations. The event was devoted to three main subjects: challenges and opportunities to the partnerships in fighting world hunger; strategic issues; and capacity development efforts. Mr Jean-Jacques Graisse, Senior Deputy Executive Director for Operations provided an overview of WFP's main operations in 2004 and both WFP and its NGO partners gave joint presentations to share experiences and lessons learned as well as stimulate discussion about their experiences of working in partnership. The meeting was closed by Ms Sheila Sisulu, who reiterated WFP's commitment to strategic partnerships, which included the recent stakeholder review.

On 15 December, WFP also held the Third Annual Consultation with Italian NGOs aiming to further strengthen coordination, explore new potential areas of collaboration and share information with Italian civil society. Among various presentations, information was shared on: the current situation in Sudan/Darfur and Chad, the programmes to fight HIV/AIDS and the activities of the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) of Brindisi co-managed by WFP, OCHA, WHO and several NGOs. Two NGO initiatives were also presented: the Forum Solint (Solidarietà e cooperazione internazionale) promoted by the NGOs CISP, COOPI, COSV, InterSOS and Movimondo and the "Italia-Africa" initiative which involved schools, universities and the city of Rome in various awareness raising and education activities, notably on Mozambique.

For more information on the WFP-NGO Consultations please contact Ms. Jutta Neitzel at jutta.neitzel@wfp.org