AMR: FAO Director-General participates in 4th Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance

Rome - The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today joined high-level participants at the fourth Global Leaders Group (GLG) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to discuss future action, including the possible incorporation of AMR in the United Nations pandemic treaty.

The treaty, in the wake of COVID-19, is currently being developed under the Constitution of the World Health Organization to strengthen future pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. There is a broad overlap between the responses needed for addressing both AMR and a future pandemic, including developing global policies, tools and systems and mobilising financing. 

Antimicrobial drugs are key in the treatment of diseases and their use is essential for both human, animal and plant health. However, the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is a major concern for the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant micro-organisms. Due to AMR, drug-resistant infections are placing an ever-increasing burden on human and animal health as well as the environment. 

In order to better prevent and protect against AMR, the Group agreed to advocate for AMR’s inclusion into the pandemic treaty in order to ensure increased impact, efficiency, cost-effectiveness and harmonization in global health.

The FAO Director-General noted that we are currently living in a challenging time, and that AMR is another “silent pandemic” that is spreading across borders. He added that FAO recognises the importance of integrating AMR into the pandemic treaty.

The GLG is co-chaired by Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, with support from FAO, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme.

The meeting also updated members on the GLG’s recent awareness-raising campaigns, including information sessions on how to interact with the 2022 G7 and G20 processes, the upcoming Third High-level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to be held in Muscat 24-25 November 2022 and the decision by the United Nations General Assembly to hold a high-level meeting on AMR in 2024.

The Group concluded its meeting by setting key deliverables for 2022, which include advocating for keeping AMR high on the political agenda, developing a surveillance programme and to call upon governments to act on such a system and mobilising support to increase AMR financing.

The Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance

The Group was established to collaborate globally with governments, agencies, civil society, and the private sector through a One Health approach to advise on and advocate for prioritized political actions for the mitigation of drug-resistant infections through responsible and sustainable access and use of antimicrobials.