Ministerial Meeting- Road to Kunming
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
20/05/2021
Ministerial Meeting Road to Kunming
20 May 2021
Video Message by FAO Director-General, Dr. QU Dongyu
Beijing, China
Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. The world will join the CBD COP15 in Kunming, China this year, for the historic mission of adopting the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
2. Biodiversity provides viable solutions to multiple challenges faced by our current agri-food systems.
3. As food demand grows, restoring, conserving and sustainably using biodiversity is crucial to achieve more productive, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.
4. This week we are also celebrating World Bee Day and the International Tea Day.
5. Both celebrations remind us of the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services to our lives and cultures.
6. Mainstreaming biodiversity is a team effort by farmers, fisherfolk, livestock keepers and foresters, as well as national authorities, international organizations and consumers.
7. I believe today’s deliberations will contribute to building a harmonious relationship between humans and nature.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
8. Through innovation, FAO is committed to supporting Members in making sustainable use of biodiversity, as part of its engagement with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
9. This is fully reflected in FAO’s new Strategic Framework and its Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.
10. Moreover, the FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors together with its Action Plan set out the sustainable transformation of agri-food systems, from production to consumption.
11. As the specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger, FAO will continue to support Members delivering healthy food and prosperity, in harmony with nature.
Thank you.