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FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York

50th Anniversary of Fiji’s Independence

09/10/2020

 

 

50th Anniversary of Fiji’s Independence

Carla Mucavi, Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York

 

Your Excellency Ambassador Satyendra,

Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

FAO is honoured to join this important celebration commemorating the 50th anniversary of Fiji’s independence.

For 49 of these 50 years, FAO’s work has been aligned with Fiji’s development priorities  

  • to enhance national and local capacities,
  • and integrate climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction in agriculture.


We are committed to supporting the protection of Fiji’s natural resource base, as well as to building resilience of livelihoods to crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has recently magnified challenges related to food security in the Pacific region by causing disruptions in travel, and effectively shutting down the supply chain and tourism sector.

As a key member of the Pacific Small Island Developing States, Fiji needs to come up with a strong policy and on-the-field response, and FAO stands ready to support with innovating  solutions  to transform  food systems and making them more sustainable, inclusive and resilient for the better of the People and the Government of Fiji.

We also would like to recognise your strong leadership and continuous engagement to the ideals and aspirations of the United Nations (UN) to leave no one behind and attain Agenda 2030.  

I also would like to take this opportunity to welcome the Nobel Prize given to the World Food Programme, a Rome-based Agency and sister organisation, as a recognition of the important work carried out in providing food assistance to the people in need. This is indeed a recognition of the relevance of the UN and the importance of multilateralism.

Let me reiterate my congratulations for 50 years of independence, and my conviction that the next 50 years will be even more prosperous and fruitful for the Fijian agri-food sector and the country as a whole!

Thank you for your attention.