merrion street

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and Minister of State for Trade and Develpoment Joe Costello today signed  three-year Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Ertharin Cousin, in Dublin. The WFP is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.

The agreement, which was signed at Dublin Castle during the Hunger-Nutrition-Climate Justice Conference, sets out shared objectives in the area of humanitarian assistance. It also commits Ireland to providing a minimum of €7 million a year to WFP for the next three years.

Minister Coveney commented that

I am delighted to be a signatory to this important agreement which deepens Ireland’s long-standing partnership with the WFP. Given our history, hunger and famine are issues which resonate strongly with Irish people and I am proud that notwithstanding the recent downturn in our economy, we have been able to maintain our core contribution to the WFP at the same level in recent years.

Minister Costello said:

WFP is one of Ireland’s key partners and we greatly value their tireless work to eradicate hunger and tackle under-nutrition. It is particularly fitting that this agreement has been signed at today’s important Hunger-Nutrition-Climate Justice Conference, where 350 people from Developing and Developed countries are all discussing how best we can fight the scourge of hunger and under-nutrition in the context of a changing climate...

Read the full press release here.