UNFSS+2 CLOSING CEREMONY Closing Remarks

UNFSS+2

CLOSING CEREMONY

Closing Remarks

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

26 July 2023 (16.00 hours)

 

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

His Excellency the Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Antonio Tajani,

My dear sister the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed,

All colleagues from the Rome-based Agencies, UN agencies here and Representatives of Members,

 

First and most importantly, I congratulate all of you who remained until the last minute for these closing remarks and ceremony.

 

You are the historical evidence witnessing this historical event, hosted by the Italian Government, with the strong and coherent cooperation of all Members, and among the UN Agencies.

 

It is a special privilege for FAO to offer this public service for you. Of course, this building is donated by the Italian Government, so we need to thank our Host Country for their long commitment over many years supporting FAO, WFP and IFAD, as well as the other 23 UN agencies based in Italy – 26 in total.

 

This week, with all your exercises to re-think, re-set and re-start the agenda to go further. It is indeed a global movement. And I know that all of you have not just spent the past three days here, but have been working for the past three weeks, three months and even three years together.

 

When with Amina Mohammed, we designed the Food Systems Summit together we had a lot of internal debate, but unfortunately the pandemic stopped us to do more ambitiously.

 

However, also due to the pandemic, somehow it forced us to change the business model which led us to have a very challenging Pre-Summit, together with the strong support from the Italian Government and the Rome City Government under solidarity of one UN.

 

Following the successful Pre-Summit, followed by the Summit, and thanks to the trust of the DSG and SG who asked FAO and myself to host the Coordination Hub, on behalf of the UN system.

 

Now, together with WFP and IFAD, we have come to the end of our Closing Ceremony, which of course will conclude with the remarks from the Vice Premier Tajani and the DSG, but I am pleased for this opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

 

I hope you can leave Rome with key takeaways, to support your national pathways.

 

We have heard about the many challenges you are facing, but also that in every difficulty emerges opportunity. I always say when you face challenges, you have to try your best to find the opportunity. That is real life, this is the real world.

 

We have collectively recognized that the drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition have become even more complex due to the reinforcing and interconnected risk and impact of the climate crisis, economic shocks, and ongoing conflicts and other natural disasters.

 

We never know what challenges we will need to face, but the important thing is to be prepared, based on science and data.

 

We discussed the need for high-level, long-term political commitment, and from all partners, as well as the importance of leveraging the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus.

 

Over these past three days we learned about the importance of:

• Investment in infrastructure – especially in the rural areas and in agrifood systems, to ensure what we produce has access to the market;
• Circular economy - to increase efficiency, sustainability and reduce losses and waste;
• The true cost of food – to make the hidden costs and benefits visible for effective decision-making;
• Legal infrastructure - to provide incentives and structures for action;
• Developing value chains - to build resilient agrifood systems; and
• Trade - of course is always at the top - to increase food diversity, ensure better nutrition and access to healthy diets.

 

Also, yesterday evening we had a very good event with the World Farmers’ Market Coalition – let us work for the farmers, led by the farmers, and build a better future for the farmers. That is why, from day one, I have supported the Coalition. Of course, the School Meals programme, as mentioned by Ms Cindy McCain, is also something that touches my heart – like the young, the poor farmers, and smallholders.

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

We also heard a lot of strong messages about:

• Putting people at the center because it will help us design more effective solutions - we need to include the youth and women; 

Dear Youth: I have heard your suggestions. So, you are most welcome to lead some side events in the World Food Forum. That is in my hands, so you have more freedom to play!

• Science, technology, data and innovation for better production, while also increasing climate resilience and the nutritious quality of food;
• Natural resources are the foundation of agrifood systems, and we need to improve their efficient use - we need to produce more with less;
• The importance of aquatic foods to end hunger and malnutrition – and how FAO’s Blue Transformation is a visionary initiative to achieve these objectives.

Animal protein production is still one of the most important nutritious sources for the human being. Aquatic foods and fish are the most environmentally friendly animal production so far.

• Importance of data and geospatial data for making decisions;
• International cooperation, including South-South and Triangular Cooperation;
• The need for enabling policies and governance structures; and
• Digitalization as one of the main accelerators to advance agrifood systems transformation.

 

Farmers hold the key to driving, adapting and implementing new practices, innovation and technologies, and FAO will continue to provide its technical expertise to the world’s farmers.

 

And to actively explore a whole range of innovations and promote cutting-edge technologies, including precision agriculture, data analytics, Artificial Intelligence and blockchain, biotechnologies, gene editing, and all other related modern technologies improving agriculture inputs: seeds, fertilizers, insecticide, pesticide, soil mapping, soil improvement and water treatment technology, and so on so forth.

 

So, we are trying our best to use all the tools in the toolbox. That is the open society. That is the beauty of the agrifood systems, depending on different kinds of environments, different soils, different markets, and the different history of food.

 

Food is not only food. Food is related to history and culture. That makes the cultural identity of food, based on science, based on nutritional science, but different people have different flavour preferences, that is how we grow up with different cultural backgrounds.

 

Dear Friends,

 

Over our three day “moment”, we have learned that Partnerships are essential to build a world free from hunger and are critical to transform our agrifood systems.

 

This has been a gathering of friends, and now we need to further strengthen our relationships and partnerships.  

 

It was also inspiring to see the progress of the many Coalitions, and FAO will continue to provide technical support and expertise to many of these.

 

FAO is also committed to working more closely and meaningfully with all of our UN partners, civil society, private sector and academia, and institutions, to increase our efficiency and scale up our collective impact on the ground.

 

And I believe I speak on behalf of all my colleagues here if I say that we want and we have to play a unique role to transform global agrifood systems together.

 

We are far from achieving the SDGs by 2030.

 

In a world where projections show 600 million people will be hungry by 2030, transforming global agrifood systems is not a choice – it is a must to ensure food security for all.

 

I hope this Stocktaking Moment has provided a holistic window to see where we stand, what we have done so far, and how much we need to do more and better.

 

The path is long and we need to accelerate our step and be determined to climb something challenging that stands in front of us.

 

FAO is committed to continue walking with you, hand in hand, along your national pathways towards better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life – to leave no one behind.

 

During this Stocktaking Moment we have witnessed the value of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, hosted in FAO on behalf of the UN system, as an effective, efficient and coherent coordinator and facilitator, bringing together national food systems convenors, and collecting essential data.

 

Going forward, we need to strengthen the Hub and increase our collective support to further improve its work and effectiveness.

 

I invite you all to return to Rome in October, and our Regional Office, we will have it in a hybrid mode for the World Food Forum, this year, 16 October that week. It is one of the world’s most effective platforms to continue the dialogue on agrifood systems transformation.

 

The Forum will provide an opportunity to promote investment; science and innovation; and the global youth and women engagement, including Indigenous Peoples, and also three fundamental pillars for global agrifood systems transformation.

 

Before closing, please give a strong round of applause for all of my colleagues who worked behind the scenes, and also from Italy, UN Headquarters and the Rome-based Agencies, and also for those who made a long journey to come to Rome.

 

We know, Rome was not built in one day and the transformation of agrifood systems will not be done in only one day or one meeting. Let us work together for the long term!

 

Thank you.