Summary
This side event is highlighting WFP’s approach to South-South Cooperation through building the network of Centers of Excellence.
Brazil and China partnered with WFP to create a network of Center of Excellences, with an aim to combine and leverage complementary strengths and resources for achieving progress towards the implementation of SDG 2 at country level. Each Center deploys different and effective South-South cooperation principles and modalities, driven by the demand of the countries that reach out for the support of the Centers.
The network of Centers of Excellence has become WFP’s most important mechanism for promotion of South-South and triangular cooperation to facilitate country-led efforts to improve food security and nutrition.
Objectives & Thematic Focus
- Promote dialogue and exchanges on South-South Cooperation modalities and solutions between Brazil and China;
- Outline WFP’s approach to South-South Cooperation with a particular focus on its emerging network of Centers of Excellence in Brazil and China for facilitating South-South and triangular cooperation;
- Strengthen strategic partnerships with public and private sector partners to support South-South and triangular initiatives for the achievement of zero hunger (SDG2).
Aspects to be explored during this side event will include:
(1) Overview of Brazil and China´s South-South Cooperation experiences and solutions:
Brazil and China have been two crucial players in supporting South-South Cooperation worldwide to promote country-led progress towards the achievement of the SDGs. The two countries partnered with WFP to create a network of Center of Excellences, that aim to combine and leverage complementary strengths and resources for achieving progress towards the implementation of SDG 2 at country level. Each Center deploys different and effective South-South cooperation principles and modalities, driven by the demand of the countries that reach out for the support of the Centers. The Network of Centers of Excellence has become WFP’s most important mechanism for promotion of South-South and triangular cooperation to facilitate country-led efforts to improve food security and nutrition.
(2) Overview of WFP’s approach to promote the achievement zero hunger through South-South and triangular cooperation:
Facilitating South-South and triangular cooperation is a way to expand WFP’s engagement with developing countries to support country-led progress towards SDG 2. In the context of WFP’s work with host governments, South–South cooperation can be an important source of support for nationally owned efforts.
WFP promotes South-South and triangular cooperation through a diversified approach to South-South modalities, including expert deployments, intra-regional collaboration, demonstration sites, peer coaching networks, policy dialogue, technology transfer, academic partnerships or options for joint emergency response. To date, 62% of WFP Country Offices are engaged in brokering and supporting host governments on South-South initiatives
(3) South-South modalities and solutions adopted by WFP to achieve improvements towards SDG 2:
WFP Center of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil: The Center of Excellence against Hunger was launched jointly by WFP and Brazil in 2011 to identify and share innovative solutions to eliminate hunger among developing countries through South-South Cooperation. The Center draws on Brazilian experience in fighting hunger and poverty to share knowledge and policy innovations among developing countries. Primarily focused on linking school meal systems to local agriculture, it provides technical assistance to national governments to design, improve, expand, and eventually run their own school feeding programmes. The WFP Center of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil also provides broader technical assistance in nutrition, smallholder agriculture and social protection, following the increasing demand from Governments working towards the achievement of Zero Hunger by 2030.
WFP Center of Excellence in China: Established in 2016, the WFP Center of Excellence in China aims to leverage China’s successful experience in reducing poverty and hunger. The Center works as a mechanism to enhance South-South and triangular cooperation by sharing China’s experience in food security, nutrition, and poverty alleviation with other developing countries. The four priority areas of the WFP Center of Excellence in China are: (1) Value chain development and market access for small-holder farmers; (2) Supply chain strengthening including post-harvest loss management and storage systems; (3) Climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and resilience; (4) Implementation of national zero hunger and nutrition strategies. The Center facilitates policy dialogue, technical training, expert deployment, policy research, capacity strengthening and other activities pursuant not only to SDG 2, but also SDG 17 on partnerships.
Concrete Outcomes
- Promote the dialogue between Brazil and China on South-South Cooperation modalities and solutions;
- Strengthened partnership between WFP and host governments of China and Brazil;
- Enhanced strategic partnership with private sector.
Agenda (60 min)
Opening remarks by Mr. Kenn Crossley, Deputy Director of WFP Policy and Programme Division
Session I. Brazil and China´s modalities and solutions in South-South Cooperation: the partnership with WFP to build the network of Centers of Excellence
Moderator: Dr. Bing Zhao, Global Coordinator, Purchase for Progress Program, WFP
- Dr. Shengyao Tang, Deputy Director General, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Agriculture, P. R. China
“South-South Cooperation Support by China to achieve global food security and zero hunger” - Dr. Sixi Qu, Director of WFP Center of Excellence in China
“Demand- Driven South-South Cooperation engagement by WFP China Center of Excellence” - Mr. Miguel Griesbach de Pereira, Minister at the Brazilian Embassy in Turkey, Brazil (TBC)
- Daniel Balaban, Director of WFP Brazil Center of Excellence
Session II. Strengthening strategic partnership with public and private sectors towards efficient and effective SSTC
Moderator: Dr. Bing Zhao, Global Coordinator, Purchase for Progress Program, WFP
- Mr. Hao Wang, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, China-Africa Development Fund
“Strengthen South-South collaboration with WFP for food security in Africa” - Ms. Cong Sheng, CFO, Hema, Alibaba Group
“Support small holders for better market access along value-chain management through E-commerce and IT technology” - Mr. Joao Bosco, President Brazil-Africa Institute, Brazil (TBC)
Session III. Question and Answer
- All panelists
Closing Remarks: Mr. Kenn Crossley, Deputy Director of WFP Policy and Programme Division
Panelists
Mr. Kenn Crossley
Deputy Director of WFP Policy and Programme Division
Kenn Crossley is currently Deputy Director of Policy and Programme Division. Responsible for Cash based Transfer, Social Protection and Safety Nets and Climate Risk management. He has also held posts for WFP as Chief of Hunger Solutions, Deputy Country Director in Cambodia, and Deputy Director of US Government Relations. Previous programme experience includes filed assignments with WFP, UNICEF, and the Canadian International Development Agency in southern Africa, Kenya, and pre-independence South Sudan. A Canadian national, Mr. Crossley holds a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Shengyao Tang
Deputy Director General, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Agriculture, P. R. China
Dr. Tang graduated from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and holds a Doctor’s degree in management. Dr. Tang joined the China Ministry of Agriculture in August 1984. He now serves as Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation of the ministry of Agriculture, in charge of the Division of International Organizations and the Division of American and Oceanian Affairs.
Dr. Sixi Qu
Director of WFP China Center of Excellence
Dr. Qu graduated from China Agriculture University and holds a Doctor’s degree in management. From 2004-2012 he worked as the Director General for the Center of International Cooperation service in the MOA, for bilateral agricultural cooperation, technical exchange programmes and technical support. From July 2012 until March 2016, he served as the Counsel at the Department of International cooperation responsible for multilateral affairs related to agriculture with FAO and WFP as well as CGIAR, G20, APEC and ESCAP. Dr. Qu joined WFP in April 2016 as the Director of the WFP China Office.
Dr. Bing Zhao
Global Coordinator, Purchase for Progress Program, WFP
Dr. Bing Zhao holds a Ph. D degree from University of Degli Studi Roma Tre. He served as head of Center for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization, UNESCAP, and Deputy Director General of Center for International Cooperation Service, Ministry of Agriculture of P. R. China.
Mr. Miguel Griesbach de Pereira
Minister at the Brazilian Embassy in Turkey
He is a Brazilian Diplomat. He holds a Bachelor in Economic Sciences from the University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). He studied at the prestigious Brazilian Institute for Diplomacy, Rio Branco, where he got a postgraduate diploma with a dissertation on “Ethanol as International Commodity: Proposal for a Cooperation Strategy with Japan”.
He was Deputy Head of the UNCTAD Logistics Group (São Paulo, 2004); and member of the Working Group of the UN Biodiversity Conference – COP 8 and MOP 3 (Curitiba, 2006).
He served abroad in the Brazilian Consulate General in Hong Kong (May to October 1993); in the Brazilian Embassy in Beijing, transitional mission (October 1993 to May 1994); in the Brazilian Embassy in Bonn (1994 to 1998); in the Brazilian Embassy in Tokyo (1998 to 2001); in the Brazilian Embassy in Moscow (2010 to 2015).
Since July 2015 he has been Minister-Counselor in the Brazilian Embassy in Ankara.
Mr. Daniel Balaban
Director of WFP Centre of Excellence in Brazil
Mr. Daniel Balaban is Economist, MBA in Finance, Specialist in Public Budget and Master in International Relations. Since August 2011 he is the Director of the World Food Program Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil.
Balaban acted for over ten years in the areas of finance and planning in business consulting firms and foundations of welfare facilities. In 1994 he became Finance Analyst of the Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, having served as Economic Adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury and National Coordinator for Economic Studies of the Secretariat of National Treasury. In 2003 he served as Special Adviser to the Secretary of the Economic and Social Development of the Brazil’s Presidency of the Republic.
From March 2006 to August 2011 he was President of the Brazilian National Education Development Fund, responsible, among other actions, for the National School Feeding Program, that feeds more than 47 million students around the Country. He acted in the creation of the Brazilian School Feeding Law that determines that at least 30% of the food purchased must come from the small family farming production. He chairs the school feeding network for Latin America. He is a Board Member of the Global Child Nutrition Foundation. He is also member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Councils. Balaban has been instrumental in supporting south-south cooperation and partnership in collaboration with the World Food Programme to bring support to national governments in several countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Mr. Hao Wang
Chairman of the Supervisory Board, China-Africa Development Fund
Mr. Hao Wang served as Deputy Director of Business Development Department of China Development Bank. He is also Chairman of Supervisory Board of CDB Securities co., LTD.
Ms. Cong Sheng
Finance Director, Alibaba Group
Ms. Sheng joined the Alibaba Group in 2016 where she is now serving as CFO. Previously, between 2013-2016, she served as Finance Director for the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation. From 2003-2013 Ms. Sheng worked as Senior Manager in Ernst & Young. She graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She is the member of the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CICPA) and from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ACA).
Mr. Joao Bosco
Brazil-Africa Institute
Professor João Bosco Monte is the founder and current President of Brazil Africa Institute. He holds a PhD in Education from the Federal University of Ceará and Postdoctoral studies from the University of Brasilia (UNB), with the object of research on the integration of the African continent. He is the General Coordinator of Brazil Africa Forum and the President of the Board of Trustees of the Youth Technical Training Program.
Focal Point Contact Details
Overall Coordinators: Yan JIA, SSC Focal Point, WFP, yan.jia@wfp.org, +39 0665136523; Christiani BUANI, SSC Focal Point, WFP Brazil, christiani.buani@wfp.org; Qiang LI, SSC Focal Point, WFP China, qiang.li@wfp.org, +86 13991136513
Communications Focal Point: Adriana Bianco, SSC Team, WFP, adriana.bianco@wfp.org, +39 0665133488