An interview with Dr. Hinrich Thölken
Former Permanent Representative to the UN international organizations in Rome, Ambassador Dr. Hinrich Thölken, talks about his visit to Niger, how Germany emerged to be WFP’s second largest government donor and current challenges
1. Mr. Ambassador, you just have been to Niger with the heads of the Rome-based agencies of the United Nations. What were your main impressions?
I witnessed the daily struggle of people living in one of the poorest countries on the planet. To make ends meet and feed their families, people — especially those living in rural areas — make tremendous efforts. And yet, they still do not succeed. Niger faces a triple challenge: climate change directly threatens the livelihoods of millions of people, the security situation is complex, and the economy, which is highly dependent on exports, has experienced a slump because of those same exports. The country has an annual population growth rate of 3.9 %. Even so, the Government has a vision for the country and is actively seeking to transform the society and economy. The people we met in Niger were determined to better their lives.
2. How would you describe the cooperation between WFP, FAO and IFAD, the three organizations on the ground?
The joint mission to Niger’s Maradi province did in fact demonstrate a substantial degree of coordination and complementary activities between the World Food Programme (WFP) the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). I commend the principals of these three agencies of the United Nations on this achievement — no small feat given the size of the challenge in Niger. Yet, one can always hope for more. Increasing good cooperation will be important in reaching a greater number of people with assistance. The UN development system reform is strong encouragement for enhanced cooperation. Joint programming as requested by Germany and others in last year’s meeting of the governing bodies of the three agencies is an important step in the right direction. Let us be serious about the call of Agenda 2030 to change the way we work for the better.
3. During your tenure Germany emerged to be WFP’s second largest government donor after the US. What were the main drivers?
One of the drivers was certainly the increase of the number of migrants arriving in Germany from 2015 on. This made the suffering of the millions of people fleeing conflict and misery very real to the German people. It underlined the commitment of the German people to help those most in need and led to a substantial increase in Germany’s humanitarian assistance, starting in 2016. German Chancellor Merkel underscored this when she announced the historic contribution of €570 million (US$ 623 million) to WFP in February 2016 at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference. What is happening right now in Syria, Yemen and in countries of the Sahel is happening in Europe’s immediate neighborhood. We cannot look away if there is hunger, conflict and suffering. Germany has always been a strong supporter of the global multilateral system and a key player in the international humanitarian system. We will continue on this path.
4. You were in office for three years. How would you describe the partnership with WFP? What particularly surprised or impressed you?
WFP is a unique institution and it is one of our best hopes to better the lives of millions of people. I have always thoroughly enjoyed working with WFP staff — be it experts, staff in field offices or senior management. For WFP, having access to sufficient funding for ever expanding operational needs is vital to fulfilling its mandate. But funding is only the fuel for the WFP machinery. Thousands of women and men working for the organization are committed and devoted to their mission and they are the engine of WFP, making the impossible happen.
5. In your opinion, what are the future challenges that need to be considered?
In recent years, we have seen a surge in the number of political crises and this trend seems to be continuing. Forced migration is on the rise and more people than ever before are experiencing severe food insecurity. This results in growing financial need for the humanitarian system and for WFP in particular. Securing sufficient funding is a prime task for WFP. Work to increase the resilience of vulnerable populations must also be stepped up. This is also the logic behind WFP’s integrated roadmap — a major reform that WFP initiated in 2016. Finally, there must be better prevention: the international community must become more adept at avoiding instability, and ultimately, ending conflict.
