Cindy McCain tapped as head of World Meals Program
Cindy McCain tapped as head of World Meals Program
Cindy McCain is ready to take over as head of the United Nations’ World Meals Program, placing the longtime political partner on the high of the globe’s largest humanitarian group and on the frontlines of a rising world meals disaster.
The United Nations will announce McCain’s appointment Thursday, in accordance with two individuals accustomed to the matter. The transfer caps a pointy rise within the world meals coverage realm for McCain, a detailed political ally of President Joe Biden and the spouse of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz).
The WFP place is apolitical and the U.N. takes nice pains to maintain it that manner. However McCain’s expertise campaigning for her husband and relationships with U.S. politicians will probably be important as she seeks to marshal assets for a record-high 349 million individuals struggling acute meals insecurity globally, amid a geopolitical firestorm over the battle in Ukraine, issues about China hoarding world meals provides and, most significantly, requires a pullback in funding help from members of her personal celebration within the U.S. Congress.
The media outlet Devex first reported McCain was set to be tapped for the position.
Whereas McCain has participated in a long time of humanitarian work, her appointment final 12 months as U.S. ambassador to 3 U.N. meals and agriculture businesses marked her first formal position in meals coverage. In that put up, which is predicated in Rome, she has been a part of a small cadre of U.S. diplomats working to restrict the harm from Russia’s battle in Ukraine, which has despatched world meals costs sky-rocketing and threatened to destabilize dozens of fragile international locations already getting ready to widespread starvation. McCain described her preliminary months within the job as “a baptism by hearth,” in an interview with POLITICO last year.
McCain stated in an interview with POLITICO final month that she noticed “room for enchancment from the Center East” in contributing to world meals support amid the fast-moving disaster. Requested about China’s position in world meals safety and U.S. criticism of Beijing for not doing extra, McCain urged the Chinese language authorities to be engaged. However she added, “There’s at all times strings hooked up with China.”
McCain will substitute David Beasley, the World Meals Program’s present government director and the previous Republican governor of South Carolina. Folks near Beasley say he would possible contemplate pursuing a Senate bid in his house state, ought to Sen. Tim Scott (R) run for president in 2024 or Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) retire within the subsequent few years.
McCain met Wednesday with Beasley and high United Nations meals program officers, together with Qu Dongyu, the director common of the UN’s Meals and Agriculture Group.
An individual near McCain had described the prospect of main the World Meals Program as a “position of a lifetime” for her.
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