FAO in Geneva engages towards a new business model
FAO in Geneva engages towards a new business model
The Geneva Office is renewing its approach to liaison work on the road to increased effectiveness
As part of corporate transformation efforts triggered by the Director-General, FAO Liaison Offices are being strengthened as advocacy and partnership platforms, to better support members and partners and actively promote inter agency cooperation
A rich environment
The United Nations (UN) Geneva environment is rich with a variety of potential themes, partners and opportunities. At the same time, FAO’s mandate is broad and potential partners in Geneva and in Switzerland are numerous, with most of them not directly focusing on issues related to food and agriculture. But the city is also the main place where the economic, environmental and social/human components of sustainable development are being integrated in discussions, processes and initiatives, at the crossroads of FAO’s mandate and the UN priorities in Geneva.
New impulse
This exciting context, where various important processes and valued initiatives materialize, provides the Organization with great opportunities to forward its mandate and values and pursue its strategic objectives. This recognition has brought FAO in Geneva to work towards a new business model that will enable the office to bring about renewed effectiveness in the achievement of its objectives. This new impulse will revolve around three broad objectives:
- Promote FAO’s contribution to the 2030 Agenda through its 2022-31 Strategic Framework
- Monitor and inform Geneva-based deliberations to strategically position the Organization in line with its mandate.
- Champion key thematic issues of importance to FAO, its members and partners, leveraging key field work of the Organization.
Towards a new business model
Giving a new focus to its work in line with the new Strategic Framework, FAO in Geneva is looking to harness the comparative advantages of the Organization as well as potential opportunities present or arising in the Geneva context to engage on an unprecedented level with key Geneva- and Switzerland-based audiences relevant to FAO.
The Organization’s 2022-31 Strategic Framework puts at its centre the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. This is what FAO endeavours to advocate for in The International Geneva and in Switzerland. Focusing on selected audiences such as Permanent Representations of Members, UN partners and the Swiss public, FAO in Geneva will promote key work, initiatives and results of the Organization towards Agenda 2030.
FAO in Geneva will also closely monitor key UN system and other international organizations processes and governing bodies sessions to identify opportunities to promote enhanced cooperation and partnership. As part of its new approach, FAO in Geneva aims to develop its role as a key connector and facilitator, ensuring that FAO decentralized offices and headquarters units are kept alerted and made aware of such opportunities, while the Organization’s field work and its impact are actively showcased. FAO in Geneva will also endeavour to federate around the engagements and values of the Organization, therefore facilitating a convergence of ideas, means and actions among key actors through strategic involvement in Geneva-based forums and processes.
Working together with our partners and members, FAO will champion key issues in the International Geneva and Swiss environments, acting as an initiator and neutral convenor / honest broker as well as catalyst for action when possible. For each of the thematic areas, FAO in Geneva is organizing a periodic series of dialogues, involving primarily FAO counterparts at all levels, as well as Decentralized Offices and HQs units as appropriate, making full use of the virtual modalities.
FAO in Geneva thematic dialogues series
- Humanitarian response and resilience building
- Agricultural Trade talks
- One health: Health Through Healthy Agri-Food Systems
- Nutrition: Transformed agri-food systems for better nutrition
- Ecosystem restoration for production