Read-out of the FAO Director-General’s meeting with Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, Department of Operational Support, United Nations

Rome - Director-General QU Dongyu and Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Operational Support, UN Department of Operational Support met and discussed topics of common interest.  The USG was also joined at the meeting by Giovanna Ceglie, Director of the United Nations Global Service Centre (UNGSC) located in Brindisi, Italy.

The Director-General welcomed the USG’s visit to FAO and thanked the USG for his support, expressed appreciation for the Department of Operational Support, and conveyed his gratitude for the host country, Italy, and their ongoing, steadfast support to the Organization and other UN entities in the country.

The two exchanged views on the UN’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and touched upon the response in Italy in view of UN presence in the country.  The USG commended the Director-General, in his capacity of UN Designated Official for Italy, the host government and other UN entities for their strong coordination and collaboration in response to the pandemic.

The USG informed that he had just returned from visiting UNGSC headquarters, hosted in Brindisi since 1994.  UNGSC’s mandate is to provide logistics, geospatial, information and telecommunications technologies services and training to all UN Secretariat entities, peacekeeping and special political missions, agencies, funds and programmes of the UN system worldwide.

The Director-General and the USG also briefly discussed the first United Nations Food Systems Stocktaking Moment that will be held from 24-26 July 2023 at FAO Headquarters, and hosted by Italy. 

Finally, the USG informed the Director-General that he held meetings with various Italian government authorities (national, regional and provincial) during his visit to the country.