The Food Assistance Convention was concluded at London on 25 April 2012. Authentic texts: English and French, with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The DONE formula is not transcribed. It was open for signature at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 11 June to 31 December 2012 for the States listed in Article 12 (including Romania) and the European Union; thereafter, accession. It is not the Food Aid Convention, 1999, whose still-valid objectives the preamble restates.

The objectives (Art. 1): to save lives, reduce hunger, and improve food security and the nutritional status of the most vulnerable populations, through assistance commitments, shared principles, and information-sharing. Article 2 states, as a principle, humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, assistance in fully grant form whenever possible, local or regional purchase where appropriate, and the avoidance of adverse effects on local markets. Monetisation, re-export or beneficiary-targeting regulations are not transcribed.

Article 3: the Convention does not derogate from WTO obligations. Article 4 defines eligible countries (the OECD DAC list of ODA recipients, plus others in the rules of procedure) and the activities that may fulfil a commitment. Article 5: each Party sets a minimum annual commitment, in value, in quantity (grain equivalent) or both, notified to the Secretariat. The initial Secretariat is that of the International Grains Council (Art. 10). The Committee seeks to resolve disputes of interpretation (Art. 11).

Article 15: entry into force on 1 January 2013 if by 30 November 2012 five Signatories have deposited instruments; otherwise those that have deposited may decide by unanimous consent among themselves. Depositary: the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The register source is the certified copy CTC XIX-48 (scanned PDF); the working text is the PDF on foodassistanceconvention.org, identical in the final clauses.

Cover: King Charles Street, London, the government quarter of the place of conclusion; no claim is made to the hall. Wikimedia Commons, free licence.

Sources consulted: Food Assistance Convention; Food Assistance Convention (UN CTC XIX-48).