FAO statement at HLPF 2023 – African countries, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries - turning the tide, regaining lost ground and embarking on the road to the SDGs

FAO supports LDCs and LLDCs to build agrifood systems that are sustainable, inclusive, resilient and adaptive to climate change and its impacts and contribute to low-emission economies while providing sufficient, safe and nutritious foods for healthy diets, as well as other agricultural products and services.

At the just concluded FAO High-Level Ministerial Event Transforming agrifood systems to achieve the 2030 Agenda: Harnessing the potential of Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries”, FAO together with Ministers from SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs discussed concrete solutions to accelerate the transformation of their agrifood systems. FAO will continue to provide coordinated support to their efforts and we call on resource partners to provide the investments required to ensure the sustainability and resilience of these solutions.

Delegations requested that the outcome of the event be shared at relevant upcoming fora, including the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment, the 2023 SDG Summit and preparatory meetings for the Third United Nations Conference on the Landlocked Developing Countries, to ensure that agrifood system transformation is a priority in the preparation of a new programme of action for LLDCs.

Recalling the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2022-2031 (DPoA), delegations requested FAO to take an increasingly active role in the implementation of actions set out in the roadmap to support LDCs in transforming their agrifood systems and to scale-up implementation to achieve the SDGs.

The meeting proposed the establishment of a Ministerial network for SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs, with technical support from FAO, to share experiences and collectively build resilience to climate change, resilience to food insecurity, the Blue Transformation roadmap, and secure investments to scale-up transformation of agrifood systems through means of implementation such as the:

• The Hand-in-Hand Initiative;
• The One Country One Priority Product Initiative;
• The Green Cities Initiative;
• The Blue Transformation Roadmap; and
• Innovative Climate Financing, including the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility.
  

Thank you for your attention.