First of all, due to our disaster-prone natural environment, Japan has frequently suffered from natural disasters such as earthquakes, as the massive earthquake in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year’s Day shows. Therefore, in order to minimize the damage caused by natural disasters, which are becoming more frequent and severe, we are making efforts to minimize such damage through disaster prevention measures. Japan believes that resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems are essential to cope with unpredictable risks.

Second, Japan also believes that it is imperative to take into account the diverse conditions of agriculture, forestry and fisheries among countries in the region, in order to enhance food security while addressing environmental challenges simultaneously, in the midst of emerging number of environmental issues related to these sectors in the region. Therefore, we encourage FAO to actively utilize its expertise and engage in international environmental discussions convened by the UN system entities in charge of climate change, biodiversity and plastics, etc., by providing technical inputs within its mandate.

Third, Japan would like to emphasize that the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) is one of the ideal ways to realize environmentally friendly agriculture. It plays a vital role in conserving biodiversity, as well as in revitalizing local communities and providing better educational opportunities for children, while promoting local traditional agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Therefore, Japan would like APRC to recommend FAO to make more efforts for GIAHS, including analyzing and disseminating comprehensive and useful information on the role of GIAHS under Programme of Work and Budget (PWB).

Fourth, Japan believes that the activities of the Regional Committees are important, such as standards-setting in key technical areas of FAO's mandate. On the other hand, although the amendments of the agreement on the APPPC, which sets the conditions for member countries’ participation in the Regional Committee, was adopted by the FAO Council in 1999, they have not yet entered into force due to the lack of acceptance by some member countries.

Japan reiterates that Regional agreements should enter into force as soon as possible with the latest contents approved by the FAO Governing Body. We expect FAO’s leadership to guide the member countries to adopt the amended APPPC.

Australia appreciates the information regarding achievements and results in Asia and the Pacific region as presented in APRC/24/9 and the technical presentation online.

Regarding regional priorities for the 2024-25 biennium set out in APRC/24/10, Australia supports the four proposed priorities as we consider they are fit for purpose in reflecting the key trends, developments and challenges in Asia and the Pacific region. However, we believe there are opportunities to better incorporate FAO’s overall biennial theme of integrated water resources management and request that water management be explicitly included in relevant areas of emphasis.

We recognise that in the 2022-23 biennium FAO mobilised USD 1 billion in new extra-budgetary resources supporting Trust Fund projects in the region. We recommend that in future reports FAO provide a breakdown of the allocation of resources and results at a sub-regional or country level against regional priorities. We would also welcome FAO’s assessment of the capacity for countries in the region to absorb the additional extra-budgetary resources, noting the exponential growth in this area. It would also be very useful to present the resources that are allocated in Asia and the Pacific towards implementation of strategies such as the FAO’s Climate Change Strategy and the Science and Innovation Strategy.

We welcome the development of technical guidelines for sustainable agriculture, the Regional Standard for Phytosanitary measures for mangoes, and the development of a regional network for fall armyworm as important initiatives. We recommend FAO increase core funding to the IPPC in FAO’s 2026-27 PWB process to ensure it has appropriate resources to carry out its important mandate.

Turning to Regional priority 4 relating to Pacific SIDS, we welcome FAO’s ongoing capacity building on fisheries related activities, given the importance and potential of the fisheries sectors in the Pacific. We also appreciate the activities relating to biosecurity and One Health on farms as well as the development of dietary guidelines in a number of Pacific countries. We fully support climate-smart agriculture related initiatives and guidelines relating to soil management and livestock management.

With all of these activities we emphasise the need for FAO to support country-led processes to ensure fit-for-purpose approaches tailored to local contexts, and we encourage FAO to engage with established institutions and partners in the region for a coordinated approach and to avoid duplication. We welcome and recognise FAO’s efforts to expand partnerships in Asia and the Pacific region, and recommend FAO make available to Members copies of MOUs that have been signed to enhance transparency of the Organization.

Australia particularly highlights the role of the private sector in agrifood systems transformation, in line with FAO’s Strategy for Private Sector Engagement, and note that there are engagements underway in seven countries in Asia and the Pacific. Australia requests further details on those activities, including which countries these engagements are operating in. We also recommend future reporting from FAO detail the specific activities and achievements from such partnerships.

As we have highlighted in our comments to other papers, accurate, up-to-date and granular data underpins all effective policies and programs and we recommend FAO continue to work to address data gaps and limitations in the Pacific, including through support and capacity building for enhanced data collection and analysis.

We welcome FAO’s support for Pacific SIDS to participate in key Rome-based meetings in 2023. Australia was pleased join with FAO in supporting Pacific participation at the High-level SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs event in July 2023. We encourage FAO to seek feedback on Pacific participation at these events so that future engagements at FAO headquarters can fully maximise opportunities for engagement and for the Pacific Voice to be heard in Rome.

We note that a number of Pacific countries have and are participating in FAO’s flagship initiatives including Hand In Hand and One Country One Product. We would appreciate further assessment of FAO of the success of these initiatives in the Pacific, and whether tailoring is required to ensure Members in the Pacific region can fully participate in these processes.

Australia welcomes the proposed regional foresight exercises in supporting sustainable and resilient agrifood systems in Asia and the Pacific region. Given the diversity of Asia and the Pacific region, we request information on how sub-regional differences can be appropriately assessed and considered to inform accurate and tailored strategic planning.

Thank you for the paper on the Strategic Framework, priorities and results for the region.

We note the reinforcement of the regional priorities, which New Zealand supports:

• Transforming agrifood systems for sustainable production of healthy diets;
• Accelerating sustainable natural resources management for biodiversity conservation and climate action;
• Supporting inclusive rural transformation for sustainable agrifood systems and equitable rural societies; and
• Building sustainable and resilient agrifood systems in the Pacific Small Island Development States (SIDS).

   

  New Zealand reinforces the importance of the identified priorities and notes for the SWP region that climate change and resilience of agrifood systems are critical. We are aware that good data for the SWP region is a real challenge and hence the ability to report on the results of the region are difficult when often there is no baseline data or reliable data to effectively measure results.

  We are pleased to see that FAO is undertaking Regional Foresight Exercises (RFE) to better inform members on strategic options available to achieve sustainable and resilient agrifood systems. We note that FAO is piloting two Country Foresight Exercises (CFE) in the region but neither of them is in the Pacific and question whether the Pacific will be captured in this process?

  We reinforce the importance of the technical and normative work of FAO in the development of regional and global standards that support rules based global trading and are critical to the support of sustainable agriculture.  New Zealand continues to strongly support the importance the work of Codex Alimentarius and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) at both the regional and global level. 

  New Zealand continues to strongly support the important role of innovation and research in helping to address the regional priorities including research into sustainable livestock and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.  Such research will provide an evidence base to guide decision making and FAO has a critical role as a technical expert in supporting such research and innovation.

  Supporting innovation and scientific evidence in the safe and effective use of veterinary drugs, fertilisers, pesticides and new techniques to support safe and efficient trade in food, reduction in food loss and waste, improvement in food security and reduced impact on climate are all key in the region.

  We also support the importance of digitalisation and innovation and would welcome an update on the progress with digitalisation within in the SWP noting the challenges of region.

1. The Philippines would like to thank FAO for its report on major developments and principal results achieved in the Asia and the Pacific region along the 4 regional priorities during the 2022–2023 biennium.

In the Philippines, one key result is the approval by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) of a seven-year initiative worth USD 39.2 million, in which FAO, GCF and the Government of the Philippines will work together to boost the resilience of climate-vulnerable rural smallholder farmers. We look forward to the implementation of this project and the key role it can play in advancing the country’s transition towards more sustainable, resilient and inclusive agrifood systems. project in the Philippines to boost climate resilience and improve livelihoods.

Another key development is the FAO's Country Office's engagement in inter-agency dialogue with UN Country Teams and various activities related to the UN reform, such as the preparation of the Common Country Analysis (CCA) that provided the foundation for the 2024-2028 UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for the Philippines, the first new generation cooperation and strategic framework - that will guide the work of all United Nations development system entities in their joint endeavour to support the Philippines pursue sustainable development and achieve the 2030 Agenda.

2. We also appreciate the document APRC/24/10 which elaborates on the 4 Priorities of FAO for the Asia and the Pacific region in 2024-2025 and beyond under the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031.

3. These priorities are aligned with the Philippines’ broader UNSDCF strategic priorities namely: a) Human capital development, inclusion, and resilience building; b) Sustainable economic development, decent work, and innovation; and c) Climate action, environmental sustainability and disaster resilience.

4. The Philippines recognizes the relevance of the FAO’s Program Priority Area (PPA) mapping for each of the four regional priorities, and would like to emphasize the following:

a) Better Production Priority Area 2 on blue transformation - the need to protect the marine environment to conserve and rebuild stocks, and strengthen mechanisms to address IUU fishing;

b) Better Production Priority Area 4 on the enhanced equitable access of family farmers, as change agents, to resources, markets, services, information, education and technologies;

c) Better Nutrition Priority Area 1 to transform food systems for healthy diets, better food security and nutrition ASEAN countries; and

d) Better Environment Priority Area 1 and Better Life Priority Area 4, which highlight the vulnerability of agrifood systems to climate shocks and the need to build resilience through, among others, innovative solutions.

The Philippines also welcomes the vocational training in agriculture for the youth, including in information and technology, so that they can play a catalytic role in the sector.

Data and statistics remain vital for evidence-based decision making and monitoring.