EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AWARDS 2023 AND 25 YEAR MEDAL CEREMONY Address

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to everyone!

This year it is an extra-special event because we are joined in person by our FAO Representatives from the Country Offices – it is truly an historic occasion!

This year’s Employee Recognition Awards - which is being held for the 5^th time – is the biggest celebration yet!

Today, in addition to celebrating our 100 Young + 100 Young-at-Heart colleagues and 17 FAO Teams, we also celebrate the 25 Year Medal awards, to congratulate and honour our colleagues who have reached 25 years of continuous service at FAO. 

This year, 2023, has been one of EXCELLENCE and we have built on the foundations of 2022, which was the year of the EXTRAORDINARY, following the years focused on EFFICIENCY and EFFECTIVENESS.

After the Four Es, 2024 will be the start of the Four Rs: RECOVER, REBUILD, and REFORM, for a RENAISSANCE of FAO!

Today, we celebrate our Organization’s greatest assets: our colleagues.

All of you - both here at Headquarters and in the Field - are the engines for implementing the Strategic Framework and turning the aspiration of the Four Betters into reality by action.

This week, we have had the opportunity of thinking together, learning together, working together, and growing together. Now it is time to enjoy together as ONE FAO family!

To recognize the contribution of all employees working towards FAO’s mandate, upon taking office in 2019 I introduced the Employee Recognition Awards – which has now become an annual highlight on all our calendars.

In the past four years, we have honoured 400 Young and 400 Young-at-Heart employees, and over 50 teams.

The awards have boosted morale, build ed up our positives and inspired us to continue to strive for excellence, fostering unity and solidarity.

For the 2023 awards, 549 nominations were received across streams, offices, and divisions, as well as offices in the field: 200 of these were selected by colleagues in the Organization-wide poll.

Over 100 nationalities are represented from 77 duty stations. Our rich diversity reflects our strength. All working together towards our common goal of a world free from hunger and poverty.

Today, we also celebrate the important contributions of our ONE FAO team awardees for their excellence in serving the Organization.

The ONE FAO Team Award recognizes their commitment and collaboration that has contributed to a more innovative, effective, and impactful FAO. I have personally endorsed 17 teams for their excellent work this year. The teams are of various sizes, but what matters are the results they achieve, the impact on the ground and their spirit of collaboration.

When we learn together, work together, and contribute together, we can go further together!

These are the core values I have always advocated and the values we must continue to strengthen in the years ahead.

We have achieved a lot together over the past four years, and there is still a lot to be done, but I know that we share a common commitment to do more and better, together.

Let us continue being united, more than ever before, as ONE FAO focused on providing service to the world’s farmers, consumers, youth, women, and indigenous peoples,

Ensuring a global transformation of agrifood systems and sustainable rural development in support of the most vulnerable populations, leaving no one behind.

There are 200 individual awardees today, but there are many more who deserve to be celebrated. I thank ALL employees for their dedication, commitment, passion, and contribution.

Today, we also celebrate 41 colleagues as they mark 25 years of continuous service with the Organization - from 23 countries located in 19 duty stations worldwide, some in extremely difficult situations on the frontlines of FAO’s work.

Marking this commitment to FAO is a long-standing tradition, because 25 years of service is truly significant! 25 years is a long time in a person’s life; it is a long journey; a quarter of a century!

Certainly 25 years ago I did not expect I would be here speaking to all of you as Director-General of FAO. I am grateful and humbled to have the special honour to work with you and to serve our Members. All of you will remain in my heart well beyond the next four years.

This ceremony is a living testament to our rich, collective history.

The Organization has evolved over the past 25 years, with accelerated changes over the past 4 years. Those receiving a medal today, have witnessed this evolution firsthand, and you have also evolved personally over the past 25 years.

Evolution presents challenges – challenges that you have overcome. Now I invite you to share this experience with the younger generation of FAO employees; engage with them and exchange perspectives. You can do this through the FAO Mentorship Programme, or even just by inviting a younger colleague for a coffee and a chat.

This is something that is very close to my heart: intergenerational knowledge is an essential building block for the future, for a better future for all.

Ask yourself, 'What can I learn from my colleagues, young and old?'. This is something we should think about every day.

Let us enjoy the celebrations today – it is a well-deserved celebration after a year of hard work!

I wish you all a good holiday season with a Pleasant, Peaceful and Prosperous 2024!

2024 is the Year of the Dragon by the Chinese Lunar Calendar, starting on 10 February by the western calendar.

The Dragon means holy, good luck, strength, wisdom, and imperial power with honor and glory.

I thank you.