Read-out of the FAO Director-General’s meeting with H.E. Irfaan Ali, President of the Republic of Guyana

New York - The Director General QU Dongyu met today with H.E. Irfaan Ali, President of the Republic of Guyana on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The Director-General thanked the President for Guyana’s support to the work of FAO, in particular for Guyana’s hosting of the 38th session of the Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC 38) that will take place in 2024.

He also highlighted some of the key reforms he has emplaced in the Organization since 2019 to ensure FAO is fit-for-purpose and equipped to deliver effective support to all its Members.  In particular, he noted the establishment of FAO’s Office of Innovation, Office of Sustainable Development Goals, and the position of Chief Scientist. He also cited FAO’s Office of SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs and highlighted the Organization’s systematic and structural commitment to do more and better for these countries in finding solutions to the specific challenges they face.

The Director-General also provided a brief overview of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 and the two new thematic strategies recently emplaced to support it, on Climate Change, and on Science and Innovation Strategy, as well as the FAO Strategy for Private Sector Engagement. He also referenced FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative, which prioritizes support to countries and territories where poverty and hunger are highest, national capacities are limited, or operational difficulties are greatest due to natural or man-made crises. 

For his part the President informed the Director-General that he could count on Guyana as a strong and strategic partner, while also providing a summary of the work undertaken in Guyana in agrifood systems transformation and in Guyana’s current regional role for food security and agriculture issues in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Finally, the Director-General expressed his hope that Guyana could participate in the World Food Forum, the Science and Innovation Forum, and the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, which will all take place in Rome, Italy during the week of 17-21 October, which would provide platforms to catalyze action, promote investment and build partnerships.