UN lauds G-20 decision to exempt agency's food purchases from export restrictions
"Today WFP purchases most of its humanitarian food in 70 different nations, and it's critical that this food reaches the vulnerable," said Josette Sheeran, the agency's Executive Director. "This declaration by the G-20 will ensure that the humanitarian pipeline will flow even during a food crisis."
The decision was taken during the two-day summit of G-20 leaders in Cannes, France, which ended today.
During the 2008 food price crisis, export restrictions threatened WFP's ability to provide a lifeline of support to hundreds of thousands of people who were struggling to access food for their families, the agency said.
Participating in the G-20 summit, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the leaders to remain united and steer the world towards a stable global economy and help developing countries achieve their poverty reduction and social development goals.
He stressed the need to raise development funding and urged the G-20 nations to explore all possible options - public, private and innovative sources of financing - to help poor countries achieve their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs ) by the 2015 deadline.
Sustainable energy is the key to addressing three great challenges - poverty, climate change and re-invigorating economies, Mr. Ban emphasized, calling on leaders to facilitate the attainment of universal energy access, improve energy efficiency, and double the use of renewable energy by 2030.
Mr. Ban welcomed the discussion on climate change by the G-20 leaders and called for the launch of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, next month.
Separately, the Secretary-General met yesterday with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, to discuss issues covered at the summit, with the UN chief highlighting the importance of unity of purpose on development and finding innovative sources of financing to fund it.
They also discussed the Middle East peace process and the Palestinian membership issue following the decision by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) earlier this week to admit Palestine as a full member of the agency.
Mr. Ban urged both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to exercise restraint and expressed his intention to continue working with both sides and other interested parties to find a solution for their dispute.
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