Read-out of the FAO Director-General’s meeting with Ambassador Michele J. Sison, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, US Department of State
The Director-General thanked the Assistant Secretary for the United States of America’s long-term commitment and ongoing support to FAO. He acknowledged FAO’s roots in North America – recalling that almost 80 years have passed since the first United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture was held in Hot Springs, Virginia in May 1943, which led to the establishment of FAO.
The Director-General also expressed his appreciation for the prominence that food security matters received during the recent US Presidency of the UN Security Council in May 2022, citing his interventions in the US-convened Ministerial Meeting and Security Council Open Debate on Conflict and Food Security.
The Assistant Secretary extended her appreciation to the Director-General for FAO’s breadth of expertise and the work it undertakes worldwide, in particular noting the key role the Organization plays in providing data and analysis on issues related with food security.
The Director-General and the Under Secretary briefly discussed the global food security situation.
They also touched upon the important role that investments, enabling policies and the private sector can play in making agrifood systems more efficient, resilient, inclusive and sustainable. In particular, they emphasized the importance of investing in agrifood systems to make them more resilient to shocks and stresses, in order to help ensure the food security, nutrition and livelihoods of vulnerable people worldwide.
The Director-General also summarized some of the reforms he has emplaced in the Organization since 2019, to ensure FAO is fit-for-purpose and equipped to deliver support – efficiently, effectively and transparently – to all its Members.
They also briefly discussed water and soil issues, specifically noting that increased attention on soil health and soil mapping can greatly enhance decision-making.