Meeting with H.E. José Juan Ndong Tom, Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea

Rabat - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met today in Rabat with His Excellency José Juan Ndong Tom, Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, on the margins of the 33rd Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa (ARC33).

The Director-General thanked the Minister for the good collaboration with Equatorial Guinea, as well as for having hosted the 32nd Session of the Africa Regional Conference in Malabo in 2022.

The Minister thanked the Director-General for the support extended by FAO to the country, including for the preparations for the regional conference, and in particular conveyed his appreciation to the FAO Regional Office in Accra.

The Minister informed that they are working on a National Plan on Forestry and are in the process of signing the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP). He explained that the Plan provides a road map for strengthening the agrifood system and forestry to build resilience and improve lives in rural areas and those of smallholder farmers. In this regard, the Minister requested FAO’s support to ensure its implementation.

The Director General reaffirmed FAO’s technical support, referring for example to the support provided to the forestry sector through the Green Climate Fund.

The Director-General emphasized that solidarity for Africa is very important if development is to be achieved, not only in agrifood systems transformation but also for economic development.