WFP and TAG Knowledge Forum establish partnership

AMMAN — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum (TAG-KF) have established a new partnership to achieve sustainable development in Jordan.

WFP and TAG-KF will work together to promote sustainable development by emphasising social and economic resilience and the use of technology to address development challenges, while committing support to the Jordan National Vision and Strategy 2025, according to a WFP statement published on Sunday.

WFP is partnering with TAG-KF for a community consultation process, which is part of WFP’s “Three-Pronged Approach” (3PA) for programming that aims to strengthen the design, planning and implementation of programmes by prioritising a “consultative” approach from the outset, the statement said.

TAG-KF is carrying out three community consultations for WFP, the statement continued, adding that the first took place in early September in Theeban, Madaba.

According to the statement, TAG-KF brought together around 40 community members, government and local authority officials and NGO representatives over five days to identify and discuss issues around “gender and livelihoods, vulnerabilities and shocks, along with possible programme responses”.

In the coming months, TAG-KF will carry out two additional community consultations, one in Amman and one in Zarqa, the statement said.

“WFP and TAG-KF are both engaged in crucial issues related to sustainable development in Jordan,” Sarah Gordon-Gibson, WFP’s country director and Jordan representative, was quoted as saying during a meeting last week, adding that “this partnership aligns our strengths and lays the foundation for further collaboration”.

Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman of TAG-KF, during the meeting highlighted TAG-KF’s mission to address national challenges by transforming Jordan into a knowledge-based society by 2030, calling for the creation of joint mechanisms with WFP to fight hunger and stressing the need to integrate artificial intelligence and innovation in agricultural research. He also mentioned the importance of partnering together to develop a guide on the best practices to sustain food security.