Guinea: The Thematic Group on Rural Development and Food Security actively involved in World Food Day Celebrations

Within the framework of the preparation of the celebration of the World Food Day (WFD), the Permanent National Committee WFD/Telefood in collaboration with the United Nations Thematic Group on Rural Development and Food Security in Guinea programmed a series of ceremonies and activities in close cooperation with stakeholders, including the representatives of the Non Governmental and Civil Society Organizations. This collaboration is due to this year's World Food Day theme: International Alliance against Hunger, the aim of which is to join forces in the fight against hunger and poverty.

A working session was held on 11 September, between the FAO Representative in Guinea and the Secretary-General of Caritas Guinea to share experience on the fields, strengthen and formalize the collaboration between the FAO and Caritas Internationalis. The two have worked together within the framework of the emergencies in agriculture and in the activities related to rehabilitation of Guinean forestry.

The exhibition ceremonies on October 14th, entitled "Partnership for a national alliance against hunger and malnutrition in Guinea" will be marked by a workshop which will host approximately 200 participants. The event aims to promote, at the national level, dialogue and partnership between the government, civil society, NGO, private sector, communities and other partners regarding development and the problematic of Food Security for all in Guinea and the ways and means to reach it. A declaration on the national alliance against hunger and malnutrition in Guinea is expected to be the main outcome from this workshop. The American NGO AFRICARE will be one of the principal organizers of this day.

From 14-16 October, a two-day trade fair exhibition grouped the agricultural producers, projects and programs which presented their agricultural, livestock and group fishing productions as well as Telefood projects. On October 15th a validation workshop of National Strategy of Food Security (NSFS) took place (please consult the article of October 2002 for more information on the preparation of this strategy). The NSFS was carried out by a team of national and international consultants. Local Communities were consulted throughout the process, through a series of regional workshops held in the four natural regions of Guinea.

The National Strategy of Food Security is comprised of 4 documents:

• Assessment of the food and nutritional situation of Guinea
;
• Strategic axes of the NSFS
;
• Action plan (transversal actions), and
• Plans for the natural areas
.

The WFD was celebrated on October 16th under the sponsorship of the Government and with the participation of several diplomatic missions, bilateral and multilateral co-operation agencies and national and international ONG, Civil Society Organizations and producer associations.

The improvement of the partnership through dialogues and meetings between different decision makers regarding Food security was emphasized during various events designed to celebrate the WFD in Guinea.

The UN Thematic Group of Rural Development and Food Security is also actively involved in the follow-up emergency agriculture and environment operations to overcome the impact of thousands of refugees coming from Sierra Leone, Liberia and very recently from the Ivory Coast.

For further information, please contact Mr. Ibrahim Ari Toubo , FAO Representative in Guinea at: FAO-GN@fao.org