The Japan Association for the U.N. World Food Program said Tuesday that Itochu Corp. Chairman Uichiro Niwa will become its executive board's chairman in August, and that it will create a framework in which Japan's private sector can participate more actively in the global fight against hunger.

The association held an inaugural meeting to set up the JAWFP Council uniting the WFP, the association and Japanese business circles and aimed at spreading public awareness about hunger through events and seminars and to monitor food supply projects.

"In the United States, nonprofit organizations are essential in society, providing jobs to as many as 10 million people," Niwa told the meeting at United Nations University in Tokyo. "From the economic and employment-related point of view, it is vital to encourage activities of nonprofit organizations in Japan."

WFP Deputy Executive Director John Powell also attended the meeting, along with prominent companies including Dentsu Inc., Fuji Television Network Inc., and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K.

A total of 45 companies announced their participation in the council.

"Hunger claims the lives of some 6 million children every year -- that's one child dying every five seconds," Powell said. "This is a landmark event for building a partnership with the Japanese private sector to ensure that no child goes hungry."

Through the tieup, the WFP and the association will be able to gain wide support from the business world in addition to the governmental support they receive, and businesses will also be able to gain credit for exercising social responsibility, the association said.

The council will be run by membership fees, 100,000 yen being the minimum for participating companies. The council hopes to gain the participation of 80 to 100 companies by its actual foundation on Oct. 6, the association said.