2022 United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
05/07/2022
2022 United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
Statement
By
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
5 July 2022
As prepared
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. We gather today to discuss how to move forward together under the increasingly challenging situation we face:
2. The pandemic, the global interruption to the supply chain and rising costs of major primary commodities, the war in Ukraine and other top ten conflicts and humanitarian crises across the world.
3. Which all make the current global scenario complex and interlinked.
4. We are at serious risk of facing a food access crisis now, and a food availability crisis for the next season.
5. All this has put at risk our efforts to achieve the SDGs.
6. In this context, and in view of their connected and integrated nature, the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 reflects our full commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
7. We will accelerate the SDGs through the transformation to more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agrifood systems,
8. To achieve the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
Dear Colleagues,
9. We must prevent the acceleration of acute food insecurity trends in the coming months and years.
10. Food production at the country-level must be expanded.
11. We need to provide cash and critical inputs for cereal and vegetable production; and to protect livestock with treatments, vaccinations, feed and water.
12. Agrifood supply chains and value chains must be strengthened with the engagement of the public and the private sector, in support of smallholder farmers and households.
13. We must protect livelihoods, agrifood systems and economies against future shocks.
14. To mitigate the impacts of conflict on food insecurity, we must increase sustainable productivity; strengthen capacities to deliver services and commodities; and provide access to innovative financial tools and digital services.
15. The 2021 UN Food Systems Summit provided the opportunity to complement our vision for a future food secure world,
16. And inspired countries to realize the value of agri food systems transformations as a key accelerator of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
17. In follow-up to the Summit, FAO is proud to host the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, on behalf of the UN system.
18. To support countries to implement their agrifood systems pathways, as well as other transformation strategies.
19. The Hub is supporting countries with capacity development and leveraging finance, as well as providing leadership and advocacy.
20. The Hub is committed to an inclusive and transparent process.
21. It will evolve its solutions based on knowledge from multiple stakeholders, while improving the livelihood of farmers, learning from indigenous knowledge, enabling women`s leadership, empowering the youth, and innovating with solutions form the private sector.
22. Our next milestone is the agrifood systems stocktaking moment in the second semester of 2023, to view progress achieved by countries, stakeholders, coalitions of action and science.
23. Under the leadership of FAO, the UN system will collectively demonstrate its added value in supporting countries to achieve the SDGs through agrifood system transformations.
24. FAO is committed to continue working together in an efficient, effective and coherent manner,
25. For people, planet and prosperity.
26. Thank you.