Swiss cooperation with the UN RBA's

FAO Headquarters in Rome

In 2009 the Committee went through a comprehensive reform process with the goal of increasing its efficiency by including a wider group of stakeholders, including civil society, private sector, research and other UN-organisations, amongst others, which is unique in the UN system and of increasing its ability to promote policies that reduce food insecurity. The reformed CFS is the most inclusive international and intergovernmental platform for all stakeholders to work together in a coordinated way to ensure food security and nutrition for all. The CFS is made up of the following units: the CFS Bureau and Advisory Group, the Plenary, the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) and a secretariat.

As an active CFS member, Switzerland has been a member of the CFS Bureau, the executive body, since October 2011. Within this framework, Switzerland contributes to the funding of specific work streams and the HLPE. This group of experts provides the CFS with detailed analyses and recommendations regarding political measures with regard to nutrition and food security. Switzerland has led the elaboration of principles for responsible investment in the agricultural sector (Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food System, RAI). The RAI principles should promote investments in agriculture and food systems, and provides a framework for these investments to contribute to the improvement of food security, nutrition and the living conditions of local populations, while preserving the environment.

Switzerland and FAO

FAO

Switzerland became member of FAO on 11 September 1946. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which is a specialized United Nations Agency was founded in 1945.

The two main Offices responsible for FAO matters in Switzerland are the Federal Office for Agriculture which hosts the Swiss Secretariat for FAO and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

As a FAO member Switzerland takes actively part in different FAO foras such as the Conference which is the supreme governing body of FAO that meets in regular session every two years. Switzerland is a member of the following Committees: Committee on World Food Security, Committee on Agriculture, Committee on Forestry and Committee on Commodity Problems, Commission on genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The Swiss contribution to FAO amounts to more than CHF 5 mio per year or 1.1 % of the total regular budget of FAO. In addition Switzerland supports activities and projects of special interest for our country such as:

the emergency operations (Food Aid) the implementation of the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture adopted by the FAO Conference in 2001 the building of a Global Agenda for Action in support of Sustainable Livestock Sector Development the preparation for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20) the High Level Panel of Experts of the Committee on World Food Security the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security a joint programme FAO/UNEP on sustainable consumption and food

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Switzerland and WFP

WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) was founded in 1961 as the food aid agency of the UN system by the UN General Assembly and the FAO Conference. It evolved over time as the world’s largest humanitarian agency. Due to its legal status of dual parentage it has reporting obligations to both, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and to the Council of FAO. WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every woman, man and child has access at all times to nutritious food needed for an active and healthy life. Since April 2012, WFP is headed by Executive Director Ertharin Cousin (a former US Ambassador to the Rome based agencies).

WFP is governed by the Executive Board (EB), established by the UN and FAO and composed by 36 Members States of the United Nations or Member Nations of FAO. Switzerland is currently a member of the EB (until February 2015), will then for 2015 and 2016 be an observer, to regain EB membership for 2017 and 2018.

Among all UN humanitarian agencies, WFP receives the biggest share of Swiss Humanitarian Aid contributions. WFP is supported with in-kind and cash contributions as well as subject matter experts (out of the pool of Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit) as secondments. In 2013 these contributions amounted to 79 million USD (among the top 10 donor countries).

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Switzerland and IFAD

IFAD

Switzerland is a founder member of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). As of 2014, the Fund has 173 Member States. IFAD is a specialized United Nations Agency that was established as an international financial institution in 1977.

Since it was created in 1977, IFAD has focused exclusively on rural poverty reduction, working with poor rural populations in developing countries to eliminate poverty, hunger and malnutrition; raise their productivity and incomes; and improve the quality of their lives. The Fund has designed and implemented projects in very different natural, socio-economic and cultural environments. Many IFAD-supported projects and programmes have been in remote areas, and have targeted some of the poorest and most deprived segments of the rural population.

Over 70 per cent of the world’s poor people live in rural areas and most of rural women and men rely on agriculture. IFAD is addressing gender inequalities and discrimination by focusing on areas which can empower women economically and socially, including access to land, water, education, training, markets and financial services.

IFAD provides loans to its developing member States on highly concessional, intermediate and ordinary terms for approved projects and programmes. Lending terms and conditions vary according to the borrower's per capita GNI. IFAD also provides grants to institutions and organizations in support of activities to strengthen the technical and institutional capacities linked to agricultural and rural development. Grants are limited to 10% of the combined loan and grant programme.

The Governing Council is IFAD's highest decision-making authority. Each Member State is represented in the Governing Council by Governors, Alternate Governors and any other designated advisers.

The Executive Board (EB) is responsible for overseeing the general operations of IFAD and for approving its programme of work. The Executive Board is consisting of 18 elected Members and 18 Alternate Members, Switzerland currently is an Alternate Member of the EB.

IFAD’s president since 2009 is President Kanayo F Nwanze.

Operations (loans and grants) are financed by replenishing the Fund every three years. Swiss contribution to the 9th replenishment (2013 to 2015) is CHF 28.5 mio (ca. USD 31.5 mio). Additional funding in 2013 was about 5.0 mio CHF (ca. USD 5.5 mio).

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International Fund for Agricultural Development Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Switzerland and CFS

CFS

The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) was established in 1974 and reformed in 2009 as the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform for all stakeholders to work together to ensure food security and nutrition for all. Using a multi-stakeholder, inclusive approach, CFS develops and endorses policy recommendations and guidance on a wide range of food security and nutrition topics. These are developed starting from scientific and evidence-based reports produced by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) and/or through work supported technically by The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Food Programme (WFP) and representatives of the CFS Advisory Group. CFS holds an annual Plenary session every October in FAO, Rome.

Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems

Ambassador Pio Wennubst, Permanent Representative of the Swiss Mission to the United Nations organisations in Rome has been nominated Rapporteur for the policy convergence process on Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems. His consists in facilitating a dialogue among CFS Members and Participants, towards a consensus on draft Policy Recommendations for presentation and adoption at CFS 50 in October 2022. In line with the CFS 2020-2023 MYPoW provisions, «the policy recommendations on youth are envisioned as a focused, action-oriented document that will encourage public policies to foster enabling environments capable of tapping into the energy and skills of youth to improve food systems».

Ambassador Wennubst will work with the active support of the youth, of the CFS Secretariat, of Technical Focal Points that have been nominated by FAO, IFAD and WFP and of dedicated CFS members. The policy convergence process started at CFS 49 Plenary on 13 October. This session was based on the HLPE Report on Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems. The inclusive discussion highlighted the key role played by youth in building the food systems of the future.

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The 49th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS)

Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems