As we consider the viability of the United Nations, it’s worth noting that the UN World Food Program just won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its assistance to nearly 100 million people facing food insecurity worldwide . The WFP has not been free of controversy or allegations of corruption, but overall, the agency is a UN success story. It is able to operate swiftly and effectively in war zones and conflict-affected countries, from Yemen and Syria to South Sudan and even North Korea. Its work has been even more critical amid the coronavirus pandemic that has worsened the problem of food insecurity in some of the world’s poorest and most turbulent regions. The work of the WFP is a hopeful reminder of what can be achieved through multilateral cooperation.
David Beasley, Executive Director of the WFP, is a former Republican governor and vocal supporter of President Trump. Nonetheless, he has strongly cautioned against cuts to the UN and particularly the WFP, saying “This is my message to President Trump and his friends and allies: Proposed massive cuts to food assistance would do long-term harm to our national security interests.”
It is common, even fashionable, for politicians to bash the UN for being bloated, elitist, and largely toothless. But the WFP is definitely the best-placed and resourced agency for addressing global hunger, especially when crisis strikes. I am glad the Nobel Committee recognized the WFP as a success of multilateralism amid a marked uptick in nationalism and populism around the world. I think the agency is richly deserving of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
I agree strongly with your final point, Shana! The WFP’s work is vital, and they are able to operate in places (like war zones) where bilateral food aid programs often cannot. The agency has been chronically short of money for decades, and they often have to make emergency appeals when there is a famine or natural disaster.
And because the US is a net food exporter, we have over the years been the largest contributor of food to the program. Yet now, as you indicate, the Trump administration wants to reduce the resources flowing to the WFP, even with his own appointee there as as the executive director. Let’s hope the administration changes and the plan is never implemented!
–Professor Wallerstein