Dhaka, Bangladesh – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for hosting a successful #APRC36 during a one-hour discussion at the end of his visit to the country.

The 36th Session of the Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (March 8 to 11) was hosted by the Government of Bangladesh for the first time.

It was the first APRC to be held in hybrid, with some delegates attending in person and others joining by video link. More than 1 100 participants from 42 Member countries registered – another regional conference record. There was regular COVID-19 testing for everybody who attended the venue in Dhaka.

The Director-General paid a five-day visit to Bangladesh – his first official trip outside Italy (where FAO’s headquarters is) since the start of COVID-19 international travel restrictions and his first attendance at any FAO Regional Governing Body Conference.

One the sidelines of the APRC, the Director-General conducted several bilateral meetings with country delegations. After the conclusion of the conference, he enjoyed a one-day field trip outside Dhaka to visit farmers and fishers.

On the morning of the last day, he met the prime minister at her official office. He was joined by a small high-level FAO delegation with members from headquarters, the regional office, and the country office. He then met with United Nations Country Team representatives and headed a discussion on FAO’s Hand-in-Hand initiative.

There was enormous media interest. Hundreds of stories appeared in national newspapers and on television. There was also substantial international coverage.