The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has elected Morocco to join the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Board. The country will serve a three-year term starting January 1, 2021, until December 31, 2023.
Morocco was the member designated to represent the African Regional Group at FAO. The organization elected Morocco to the World Food Programme Executive Board alongside five other states: Brazil, Guatemala, Denmark, Norway, and Hungary.
In total, the board includes 36 member states and provides intergovernmental support, direction, and supervision of WFP’s activities.
The election took place on December 2 at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
According to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the election of Morocco to “one of the most important actors in global humanitarian action” comes in recognition of the country’s initiatives in favor of populations affected by disasters and crises across the globe.
“It is also a recognition of the expertise developed by Morocco in the areas of governance and management of the various phases related to the implementation of humanitarian aid policies and programs around the world,” the ministry said in a statement.
As a member of the World Food Programme Executive Board, Morocco will have the opportunity to actively contribute to the global efforts to end world hunger—one of the most important UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The WFP is one of the UN’s most important humanitarian initiatives. It recently earned the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
According to its website, the program assisted 97 million people in 88 countries in 2019. On average, the program has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships, and nearly 100 planes on the move every day to deliver food and other commodities to people in need.
