Bilateral meeting with the King of the Kingdom of Lesotho, His Majesty King Letsie III

Rome – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met with His Majesty King Letsie III, the King of the Kingdom of Lesotho, at FAO headquarters in Rome, at the sidelines of the World Food Forum 2023 (WFF2023).

His Majesty King Letsie III, who is also the FAO Special Ambassador for Nutrition, participated at the Grand Opening of the World Food Forum on 16 October 2023. His Majesty he King shared with the Director-General his appreciation for the fruitful relationship between FAO and the Kingdom of Lesotho and for the transformative contributions the Organization has made in improving the livelihoods of many. He expressed his desire that this partnership continue to grow and strengthen.

The Director-General thanked His Majesty King Letsie III for his participation and strong support to the Organization. He congratulated His Majesty for the leadership and support to elevate the status of nutrition, which has become a top developmental and humanitarian priority for many countries. He highlighted that with the operationalized FAO Hand in Hand initiative, investment priorities and national development plans would be finalized to benefit the poor and food insecure, while contributing to job creation and the transformation of agrifood systems in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

The two-exchanged views on the agrifood systems transformation noting the importance of enhancing production and productivity through improved access to inputs, technologies and innovations; sustainable natural resources management; and good nutrition through food-based initiatives and education. The Director General and His Majesty reiterated the collective will to further strengthen the excellent partnership between the Organization and the Kingdom of Lesotho.