2023 Formal Joint Meeting of the Legal Advisers of the Specialized, Related and other Organizations (UN System) and UN Offices, Funds and Programmes Opening Remarks

2023 Formal Joint Meeting of the Legal Advisers of the

Specialized, Related and other Organizations (UN System) and UN Offices, Funds and Programmes

Opening Remarks

By

QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

17 May 2022

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Welcome all colleagues from the UN Legal Advisers to FAO headquarters in Rome, and a special welcome to Cindy McCain who is attending for the first time as Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP).

 

I hope that you have had the opportunity to discover and enjoy this Eternal City.

 

Rome has hosted FAO since 1951, when it moved from the United States of America, in Hot Springs Virginia, where it was established in 1945.

 

FAO is an old Organization, but we have been transforming, moving forward towards a modern, digital, paperless Organization, fit for purpose in these new challenging times, and beyond.

 

In the area of FAO’s mandate and in the current global context, we need to rethink, reset and transform global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable, to achieve the Four Betters – Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life for all, leaving no one behind.

As set out in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 endorsed by the FAO Ministerial Conference in 2021, in support of Members to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Innovative ways of doing business are critical. However, new situation, new advances in technology, and new practices mean that novel legal questions are arising on a daily basis, and we also encounter legal issues that are often very complex.

 

For example, digital transformation needs us to move forward in the areas of data protection and the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence. We have entered into the digital era, which is different from the traditional era and brings with it its own unique complexities.

 

FAO is not alone in this. Addressing these complex and emerging legal matters requires a coordinated, collective and professional approach.

 

We all face common and differentiated operational and legal challenges, and this Joint Meeting provides an important platform to bring together colleagues who are experts in this field to exchange perspectives and share experiences.

 

In this respect, I wish to thank the USG for Legal Affairs for the leadership and coordinating role.

 

Wide-ranging informal technical discussions enable careful analysis, and lead to coordinated solutions to evolving and complex legal problems across the UN wide system.

 

Great benefits are derived from efficient, effective and coherent collaboration.

 

I experience this with our fellow agencies: WFP and IFAD, and I also witness it regularly in my engagement with the executive heads of other UN system agencies. It is by sharing our experiences and lessons learned that we are able to improve on our harmonized and coordinated UN position.

 

As I always tell FAO employees, we need to think together, learn together, work together and contribute together.

 

Maintaining an open dialogue amongst UN entities is crucial to preserving a strong and united UN System. We need to continue working together in global partnership, supporting our Members to achieve the SDGs.

 

At FAO, our mandate guides us to work towards supporting the world’s farmers, eliminating hunger and all forms of malnutrition, and ensuring food security for all, leaving no one behind.

 

The proper support provided by the UN system to Members requires the adequate assistance of our legal teams.

 

I am convinced that my fellow UN Principals share my views regarding the critical role that legal advisers play in ensuring that the UN continues to function at its best throughout the world, working to overcome challenges and striving for excellence.

 

The legal frameworks of our organizations and entities are the pillars that sustain our work, in particular our joint work and collaboration. The legal frameworks provide the foundation for achieving consensus and supporting effective decision-making and policies that help create a better world, in which both people and the planet may prosper.

 

At FAO, the Basic Texts (2017) are essential knowledge and as Director-General, I have introduced specific training for all employees and Members, not just FAO Managers, to ensure that in all their official activities they understand the scope of their responsibilities and the importance of the work they do.

 

It is critical that Members also have a deep understanding of the Basic Texts of their Organization.

 

The legal teams under your supervision are key in ensuring that every action we take on behalf of our organizations is guided by the constituent instruments.  

 

We must know and understand the rules of our organization, and the rules that govern our actions as international civil servants working for an intergovernmental organization. We rely on you to help us protect the special status accorded to UN System agencies to enable effective delivery of our mandates.

 

While many of the fundamental rules must be preserved, we cannot continue without adapting some of the rules that were established 77 years ago. We need organizations that operate in accordance with rules that are fit for purpose, yet maintain our independence and impartiality.

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

The meetings of the Network provide an opportunity to share your experiences and to improve legal practices.

  

This morning opened with a short video about the great Roman lawyer Cicero. I would like to close by sharing a quotation from him: "The beginnings of all things are small”.

 

I look forward to your fruitful discussions, which I am confident will be an important small step towards producing a number of big legal solutions for the big progresses of the UN system.

 

I salute you and appreciate all of you – you are our hidden heroes.

 

We continue to count on you and to support you.

 

Thank you.