UNFCCC and FAO agree to explore ways to enhance their cooperation

25 September 2019, New York – FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) today agreed on strengthening the partnership between their two organizations.

During their meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Espinosa noted that as a non-operational entity but as a treaty body, the UNFCC relies on FAO for technical expertise to help countries deliver under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Qu underscored how FAO’s work focusing on farmers, who globally suffer the most from the impacts of climate change, complements the work of the UNFCCC.

He also described FAO’s new Hand-In-Hand Initiative which prioritizes targeted work that benefits people in the world’s most vulnerable regions including small island developing states, least developed and landlocked countries.

The two parties agreed to review their existing Memorandum of Understanding with the aim of increasing areas of collaboration.