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FAO Liaison Office in Geneva

Students from Dubai visit FAO Office in Geneva

01/03/2019

On 20 March 2019, a group of students from His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (Dubai/UAE), visited the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva. Ms. Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Director of FAO Geneva welcomed the students and gave them a short introduction on FAO’s mandate and on the role of the Liaison office in Geneva. As the face of the Organization in Geneva, FAO LOG represents the Organization in conferences, engages in collaborative multi-disciplinary analytical work and in substantive policy debates, taking place in Geneva on global governance for food security and nutrition, the Director said.

Ms. Rodrigues Birkett further explained that FAO LOG technical capacity counts seven experienced professional staff covering the following areas: humanitarian development nexus; agricultural trade, food system and standards; one health; disaster risk reduction and climate change; and social development and human rights.

Mr. Ahmad Mukthar, Seniro Economist, gave a comprehensive presentation on the scope of FAO work and global governance and had a rich interactive discussion with the students.

This international visit in Geneva is part of an academic module titled “Global Governance”  in which students get the opportunity to visit international organizations such as the UN, plus a number of its affiliations; and attend seminar-like sessions that demonstrate how the latter work. The main objectives of the visit is the following:

  • Exposing the students to a hands-on experience to the realms of public policy / global governance in international organizations.
  • Familiarizing the students with the top-priority concerns placed on countries’ agendas at the time being, particularly with respect to the sustainable development goals.
  • Speaking to Seniro representatives from FAO about food security, nutrition, trade, climate change and other development issues.

The participants are all graduate students who have a Master Program in Public Policy and Public Administration who occupy senior executive positions in government sector institutions in the UAE.