United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva announced their appointment of David Beasley of the United States as Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP).

According to a press release published by the FAO Representation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr Beasley of the United States as Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), at the Under-Secretary-General level, has been appointed in succession to Ertharin Cousin of the United States. The Executive Board of WFP has confirmed its concurrence with the appointment.

He has travelled to more than seventy-five countries and war-stricken regions such as Kosovo, Darfur, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, South Sudan and the Middle East leading peace-building missions and development efforts through working with foreign leaders. He is also involved in numerous civic and charitable projects, including humanitarian efforts in Asia, Africa, North and South America, Europe and the Middle East.

Born in 1957, he attended Clemson University and holds a J.D from the University of South Carolina and a BA Law Degree from the University of South Carolina School Of Law.

Rome is central to the United Nations’ premier development, humanitarian and resilience assistance, services, knowledge and financing in the areas of food, agriculture, and transformative rural development.  Together, three United Nations Rome-based Agencies (RBAs), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP) offer a vast range of knowledge, financial and technical expertise, and internationally recognized forums for discussing policy issues related to food security, agriculture, and nutrition.