4th Transatlantic Dialogue on Humanitarian Action

This Transatlantic Dialogue on Food Assistance is an integral component of the 'Uniting on Food Assistance' project. The conference will bring together 30-40 European, US and international policymakers complemented by a selection of experts from relevant UN organizations, academia, NGOs and interest groups. It is designed to present the research framework and, in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to further refine key research questions for the project.

The Berlin conference is the first of two meetings. Stakeholders will be brought together again in Washington, DC in 2011 to develop and refine recommendations based on the project’s research findings. These recommendations will be presented to the European Commission in 2011 to inform its position regarding Food Aid and Food Assistance at the 2012 EU-US Summit. 

Starting with an opening speech outlining transatlantic perspectives on current issues and challenges to food aid and food assistance, panel discussions will proceed to examine 1) transatlantic approaches to food assistance coordination, 2) challenges and opportunities of new forms of food assistance, and 3) food quality and safety. Each panel discussion will be followed by three parallel working group sessions and a common feedback exercise where participants have the opportunity to explore and discuss the issues in-depth. The conference will conclude with a keynote speech and an additional panel discussion to solicit further input on transatlantic policy options.

The Global Public Policy Institute’s Transatlantic Dialogues have emerged as an important forum for creating strategic communities and facilitating transatlantic discussion regarding key global governance issues (e.g. energy security and humanitarian assistance). The Transatlantic Dialogues on Humanitarian Action were successfully developed as part of the transatlantic pilot project "Raising the Bar." They include a small number of experts from different institutions, are work-oriented and provide a high potential for networking among different communities in the food aid and food security debate.

For more information please contact Alexander Gaus

The project is generously supported by