‘WORLD FOOD PRIZE’ AWARDED TO FORMER HEAD OF UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

‘WORLD FOOD PRIZE’ AWARDED TO FORMER HEAD OF UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

Secretary-General Says Leadership Has Put

Programme on Front Lines of Global Fight against Hunger, Scourge of Famine

NEW YORK, 16 October (WFP) -- Secretary General Kofi Annan today offered his congratulations to Under-Secretary-General Catherine Bertini on her award of the World Food Prize for her efforts in fighting global hunger while she was Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP).

“Thanks to her outstanding leadership the World Food Programme is today on the front lines of the world’s battle against hunger”, the Secretary-General said.  “Its staff have made many sacrifices in the line of duty, and have helped save millions from the scourge of famine.  Let’s congratulate them, too.”

Ms. Bertini, who was WFP Executive Director from 1992 to 2002, played a key role in helping to avert famines around the world, notably during the Southern Africa regional drought in 1992 when 18 million people were threatened with starvation, as well as in major crises in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kosovo, the Horn of Africa, Mozambique, and Afghanistan among others.

The World Food Prize is to be presented this evening to Ms. Bertini during a ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa.  Ms. Bertini plans to donate the $250,000 award to the Friends of the World Food Programme, to help fund initiatives to support education for girls.

“I truly believe that the key to eradicating poverty and fighting hunger is to educate girls, and I can think of no better way of using this prize money than to put it to use in a meaningful and practical way”, Ms. Bertini said.  “Educating girls and women represents the fastest and most efficient way of saving and improving people’s lives in poor countries.”

“One of the most compelling arguments in favour of girls’ education is a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute which found that the 44 per cent drop in child malnutrition rates registered in the 25 years leading up to 1995 was attributable to increases in women’s education.”

Meanwhile, in Rome, James T. Morris, the current WFP Executive Director, announced that the organization would match the $250,000 award and allocate the money to the same girls’ education initiatives.

“This is a very happy day for WFP”, Mr. Morris said.  “The prize is recognition of Catherine’s outstanding work on behalf of the world’s hungry.  It is a testament to all she achieved in helping to avert millions of deaths from food crises.  We also hope to mark this occasion as the beginning of a renewed international effort to help educate girls and women.”

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