CL 175 Closing Remarks

Independent Chairperson of the Council,

Members of the Council,

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

We are proud of the results we achieved in 2022-23 as presented in our first Programme Implementation Report (PIR) under the Strategic Framework 2022-31, and I was pleased that Council recognized the achievements. We aim to do even more and better in the coming years, building on the outcomes and lessons learned in 2022-23.

In the discussions on the Country Office Network, and the Regional Ministerial Conferences, Council emphasized the importance of ensuring efficiency, effectiveness, agility and flexibility at country level, and we look forward to working closer with host countries on how best to take action together, and forward.

As I have said before, we welcome the constructive recommendations from the JIU report aimed at continued improvement of management and administration in FAO, in line with the FAO Basic Texts. 

In terms of Internal Control and monitoring, intense efforts have been continuing at corporate level from headquarters to the country offices to carefully monitor and address outstanding recommendations and agreed actions.

I was pleased to see that the Council welcomed the first monitoring report of the FAO Science and Innovation Strategy, including its Action Plan 2022-25, which highlighted FAO activities over the past biennium, in particular synergies with the Strategy on Climate Change and other related strategic documents.

You also appreciated the new Science, Technology and Innovation Portal, which is already available online, and recognized its critical role in advancing scientific and technological innovation, and as a powerful tool for knowledge sharing in areas such as grassroots innovations, and social and financial innovations. This significant achievement will help us collaborate more effectively and make actionable information accessible to a broader audience, particularly women and youth.

Dear Colleagues,

FAO continues to be at the forefront of global efforts to respond to the global food insecurity crisis, and I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your ongoing support to the work of the Organization in this regard.

As part of our efforts, through global humanitarian appeals in 2024, FAO requires USD 2.1 billion to assist 49 million people in 2024. By the end of May only 13.1 percent had been funded.

Solutions for the transformation to more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable agrifood systems are solutions for the SDGs, especially SDG2, SDG1, and the other SDGs: 5, 6, 10, 12, 14, and 15; and to climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty reduction, and health. These solutions form the backbone of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 and our PPAs under the overarching Four Betters.

We welcome the support expressed by Members to the Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA), noting that in 2023, thanks to the flexibility and speed offered by SFERA, FAO was able to provide early assistance to vulnerable populations.

Dear Colleagues,

The Council stressed that data and information are critical to enhance market transparency and reduce uncertainty in global agricultural markets, and FAO will continue to strengthen its core activities in this regard.

The Council underlined the important role of the G20 Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). It is critical that we ensure sustained support to AMIS so it can play its role in full and be able to respond to new challenges.

The Council underscored the importance of trade. We need agrifood trading systems that are considerate of food security objectives. We need to continue emphasizing the importance of a free, nondestructive and reliable trading system.

You recognized that we need more financial resources given the scale of the challenges, and that the current levels of investments in agrifood systems are not sufficient to eradicate hunger. We need to boost better and more targeted investment in agrifood systems to unlock the full potential for farming, farmers and rural areas.

The Council clearly appreciated the great success over the past years of FAO’s work to support countries to access environment and climate finance, especially through the GEF and GCF, and which is in line with the objectives set out in FAO’s thematic strategies on Climate Change, on Biodiversity, and on Science and Innovation.

Dear Colleagues,

I am happy to see that Members’ demand for the Hand-in-Hand Initiative continues to grow, with 70 Members now signed up, and two new requests to join received this week from the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Independent State of Samoa. I look forward to receiving you during the 3rd edition of the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in October 2024, under the umbrella of the World Food Forum. 

Thank you for recognizing our record-breaking resource mobilization efforts over the past two years. This is a clear demonstration of the increased trust and confidence being placed in FAO, with tangible results, cost effectiveness and long-term impacts, with FAO and by FAO. I also wish to thank those countries and their close cooperation, who benefit from FAO’s work and who described the significant benefits they derive from our increased support to them.

We also carefully noted comments this week about the need for even more transparency in our work, and we will continue to share more information through informal briefings and our new Transparency Portal which will be shared shortly.

I would like to acknowledge and welcome the widespread Member support expressed this week for the Codex Alimentarius and the International Plant Protection Convention and its e-Phyto solution. Plant health and food safety are core to the work and value addition of FAO, and we took careful note of your calls to increase funding for both.

I also thank you for your interest and support in expanding the use of South-South and Triangular Cooperation to share best practices and knowledge and to support the use of more innovation and technologies. This is also a priority for FAO and something we will continue to focus on.

The launch of the 2024 Report on The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) last Saturday supported by Costa Rica during the High-Level event on Ocean Action, generated over 1800 stories in tv, radio and printed press, which highlights the increased global recognition of aquatic foods as part of the solution to end hunger, malnutrition and poverty, while contributing to sustainable development. It is also a recognition of FAO’s position as the global reference on fisheries and aquaculture-related issues, and its persistent work to further strengthen the role of science, innovation and data in shaping policies that prioritize both people and planet.

Dear Friends,

Every challenge presents an opportunity. Let us be prepared in advance and be ready to change.

Let us be more positive and more constructive to bring about the transformation of the Organization and the global agrifood systems we need for a better world and a better future for all.

Thank you.