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Black Sea Grain Initiative extension is welcome, ‘breakthrough’ on fertilisers hailed
A “breakthrough” has been made on the distribution of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Russian-made fertiliser blocked in European ports that are vital to avoid a global food insecurity crisis next year, a senior United Nations official said on Friday.
The development accompanied the renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had been due to expire on Saturday.
“We are really very pleased on the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. “It’s very good news for the world, for the food insecurity crisis that we are going through and this is an important contribution to solve the problem.”
More than 11.1 million tonnes of essential foodstuffs have been shipped as part of the agreement involving Türkiye, Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations, since it was signed on 22 July.
Amid a looming global food insecurity emergency, Ms. Grynspan explained that 300,000 tonnes of Russian fertilizer remain “stranded” in different European ports.
“We know that the crisis of affordability of today will be a crisis of availability tomorrow if we don’t face this challenge,” she added.
A negotiated solution to the “fertiliser crunch” which involves the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been found, which will see a ship loaded with Russian fertiliser departing from the Netherlands for Malawi via Mozambique on 21 November.
“We have a model that is working, (that it) is a humanitarian activity,” Ms. Grynspan explained. “WFP is the one in charge of taking the fertiliser from the ports to the countries that needs the fertiliser. And this is a donation from Uralchem/Uralkali, that is a Russian company.”
She added: “We have all the indications of openness this to happen; so, this is a breakthrough that was able to be brokered by all the actors.”
Responding to questions about the reopening of an ammonia pipeline from Russia to the Black Sea, the UNCTAD Secretary-General said that she was “optimistic that this could happen”, with the agreement of the Ukrainians and Russians.
“Ammonia is included in the Black Sea Grain Initiative - explicitly - and is explicitly included in the Memorandum Of Understanding with Russia, so not necessarily a new agreement has to be signed for the ammonia pipeline being able to start functioning again,” she said.
“The objective is to ease the pain that many developing countries are feeling because of food and fertilisers, energy and financial crisis that we are living right now, that the Secretary-General has called the perfect storm.”
ends
STORY: Black Sea Grain Initiative Latest - UNCTAD
TRT: 3 min 33s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 18 November 2022 CAIRO, EGYPT
SHOTLIST
- Wide shot, United Nations Geneva flag alley.
- Medium wide, UN Geneva Press conference.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan: “We are really very pleased on the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative; it’s very good news for the world, for the food insecurity crisis that we are going through and this is an important contribution to solve the problem.”
- Medium, TV cameras and operators.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan: “We have said very clearly that we are still not where we want to be, whilst there is still work to be done and especially in the fertiliser area because still we are seeing a fertiliser crunch.”
- Medium, journalists.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan: “We know that the crisis of affordability of today will be a crisis of availability tomorrow if we don’t face this challenge.”
- Close, photographer lining up shot.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan: “Ammonia is included in the Black Sea Grain Initiative - explicitly - and is explicitly included in the Memorandum of Understanding with Russia, so not necessarily a new agreement has to be signed for the ammonia pipeline being able to start functioning again.”
- Medium, Mrs Grynspan speaking on podium, journalist’s head in foreground, blurred.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan: “There are around 300,000 tonnes of fertilizer in the different European ports.”
- Close, press conference participants.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan: “The first shipping will get out of a Netherlands port going to Malawi and the date – the vessel is loading right now – and the day that has been established for the vessel to go is on 21 November.”
- Close, participant checking notebook.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan: “Now we have a model that is working, is a humanitarian activity; WFP is the one in charge of taking the fertiliser from the ports to the countries that needs the fertiliser. And this is a donation from Uralchem/Uralkali that is a Russian company.”
- Close, handwritten notes on pad.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan: “We have all the indications of openness this to happen; so this is a breakthrough that was able to be brokered by all the actors.”
- Medium-wide, TV cameras and photographer taking shot.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan: “The objective is to ease the pain that many developing countries are feeling because of food and fertilisers, energy and financial crisis that we are living right now, that the Secretary-General has called the perfect storm.”
- Medium-wide, Mrs. Grynspan gesturing at participants from podium.
- Medium, participants looking down at laptops (out of shot).
- Close, Mrs. Grynspan speaking in foreground, she also appears on TV screen behind her.
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