The Philippine office of the United Nations (UN) has joined the global community in congratulating the World Food Programme (WFP) for its award of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020.
UN Philippines Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez said the award bestowed on WFP is a “well-deserved recognition” to what he called as the "world’s first responder on the frontlines of food security."
"The women and men of WFP have demonstrated that multilateralism and international solidarity are fundamental to save lives, fight hunger, and protect peace. The whole UN celebrates this achievement,” the UN official said in a statement over the weekend.
The Norway-based Nobel Committee, which presented the award in Oslo last Friday, has decided to award the prize to WFP for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas, and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation was more conspicuous than ever. It said it wanted to turn the eyes of the world towards the millions of people who suffer from or face the threat of hunger.
Created in 1961 under the UN system, WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security and today provides food to more than 100 million people a year.
The Nobel award committee chose the food aid group out of hundreds of nominees, including US President Donald Trump. In announcing the award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said that in this time of pandemic "multilateral cooperation is absolutely necessary to combat global challenges."