The Joint Coordination Center (JCC), inaugurated on Wednesday, brings together high-level representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye and the UN.
Work together
The Secretary-General stressed the importance of direct cooperation between the parties for the effective implementation of the Black Sea Grains Initiative, to reduce global food insecurity, said Deputy Spokesperson of the United Nations National Farhan Haq said in statement released later that day.
Ukraine, Russia and Türkiye signed the agreement in Istanbul on Friday.
The JCC will allow the safe transport, by merchant vessel, of commercial food and fertilizers from three important Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny.
“This will help effectively respond to and stop the growing global food insecurity,” Haq said.
“Along with the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Federation and the United Nations Secretariat on promoting access to Russian food and fertilizer products to the world market, it will help restore confidence in global food markets and reduce food prices from their current levels,” he added.
Ensure compliance
The JCC will monitor the movements of commercial vessels to ensure compliance with the agreement. Focused solely on the export of bulk commercial cereals and related food commodities.
It will also ensure on-site control and monitoring of cargo from Ukrainian ports and reporting on shipments made through the Initiative.
The Secretary-General expressed gratitude to Türkiye, which provided the parties and the UN with a platform to help run the Initiative. He also thanked Russia and Ukraine for their nomination and prompt dispatch of their high-level representatives to Istanbul.
‘Rapid collective action’
The top UN aid official also welcomed the launch of the JCC.
Martin Griffiths, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, note that the rapid opening of the center was made possible through the invaluable support of Türkiye, and the commitment shown by Russia and Ukraine.
“I hope that their swift collective action will quickly and directly succeed in much-needed relief for the most vulnerable to unsafe food around the world.”
The UN Interim Representative to the JCC, Frederick Kenney Jr., attended the inauguration and is leading the Organization’s efforts on the ground.
“It is encouraging to see the parties focused on the implementation of this initiative,” he said. “The center works non-stop with the aim of getting the first shipments out of Ukrainian ports quickly, safely and efficiently.”
