Meeting between the FAO Director-General and the United Nations Secretary-General

Rome – The FAO Director-General, Dr QU Dongyu, today held fruitful discussions with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, on the side-lines of the G20 Summit of Heads of State and Government. 

The Director-General briefed the Secretary-General on the many positive changes that have taken place at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) over the last two years, including the improved and excellent working relations between FAO Management and Members, and reforms such as the appointment of the Chief Scientist, and the creation of the Office for SDGs; Office for SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs; Office for Innovation; the Joint FAO/WHO and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre. This has made FAO more professional and increased its capacity to help and support the most vulnerable Members to achieve the SDGs. 

The Director-General thanked the Secretary-General for trusting FAO by requesting it to host the Food Systems Summit follow up mechanism, reporting directly to the FAO Director-General, with the political support of the UN Secretary-General. The Secretary-General assured the Director-General of his political support and the two agreed that the ‘Food Systems Summit had ended and it’s time for action with Members on the ground.’