Read-out of the bilateral meeting between FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and Martin Griffiths Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

21 July 2021, Rome  - The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, met today with Martin Griffiths Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Director-General congratulated Under-Secretary-General Griffiths on his appointment for this key position, noting that FAO and OCHA have strengthened their relationship in recent years, with OCHA becoming a key ally of FAO in responding to acute food insecurity in sudden-onset disasters and food crisis contexts.

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs emphasized the commitment of OCHA to continue its close cooperation and coordination with FAO within the auspices of the High-Level Task Force on Preventing Famine and beyond.

He emphasized the crucial role of FAO in averting famine through its investment in rural development and safeguarding livelihoods.

The Director-General highlighted that humanitarian programming is a key FAO priority and that the Organization is committed to upscaling and increasing the efficiency of its emergency response through Anticipatory Action with the support of OCHA.

The Director-General and the Under-Secretary-General agreed to continue the discussion between the management of FAO and OCHA to identify priority areas of intervention and consolidate further their coordination at the country level.