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Last week, FAO and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) signed a Readiness Framework Agreement to enable developing countries to partner with FAO on activities enhancing their access to GCF. The agreement was signed during the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) in Marrakech (7–18 November 2016) by Ms Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General, Mr Javier Manzanares, GCF Executive Director a.i., and Mr Ousseynou Nakoulima, GCF Country Programming Director. The GCF supports countries in readiness and preparatory activities to enhance their ownership. Country readiness funding is a cross-cutting programme that aims to improve the effectiveness of...

Significant results were achieved by projects supported by the FAO Multipartner Programme Support Mechanism (FMM) in 2015, as outlined by the FMM 2015 Annual Report now available. The FMM is a funding mechanism for partners willing to contribute unearmarked funds or slightly earmarked funds. Created in 2010, the FMM is currently supported by the Kingdoms of Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden.  The FMM has been conceived as a tool to support FAO’s Strategic Framework.  “The FMM is unique as it gives FAO the freedom to allocate funds where the Organization believes they are most needed and effective to achieve FAO’s Strategic Objectives approved...

The Republic of the Sudan has donated $150,000 to support the work of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), a unique international coordinating body for policy issues related to food and nutrition, hosted by FAO. The funds will help CFS strengthen the governance of food security and nutrition in countries of the global South. Following a call for assistance from FAO, a donation agreement was signed between Sudan and the UN Agency, which will administer the contributions through its multi-donor trust fund. The project will be completed by the end of 2017. "CFS needs long term investment by all...

19 October 2016, Rome - FAO and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) have joined forces to increase job and business opportunities for young people in rural areas of Benin, Cameroon, Malawi and Niger through a $4 million grant made available by the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund. The agreement signed today by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and NEPAD Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA) Chief Executive Officer,...

FAO and the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) will work together in a new partnership to improve the state of natural resources in the wetlands of Africa's Sahel region, in particular the sustainable management of migratory water birds which are crucial for food security for the local populations. The agreement signed today between FAO and FFEM, which co-funds one third of the 5 million euros project, is specifically targeting the four main wetland areas in the Sahel region which are distributed between Chad, Egypt, Mali, Senegal and Sudan. The "Strengthening expertise in Sub -Saharan Africa on birds and their rational use...

7 September 2016, Rome - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and FAO have signed a $15 million agreement aimed at boosting the capacity of developing countries to track key agricultural data -information that is essential to good policymaking and that will help track progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

7 July 2016, Rome – FAO and Norway have agreed to continue an already fruitful cooperation in the strategic areas of fisheries, the right to food, climate-smart agriculture, deforestation, gender equity and food loss and waste. An agreement signed today by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and Norway’s Ambassador to FAO, Inge Nordang, paves the way for the continuation of a longstanding successful collaboration. It also covers funding and joint work on emergencies and response to natural disasters. Norway is among FAO’s top 20 resource partners and has been the third largest donor country of voluntary contributions to the organization in...

The Republic of Singapore joined the FAO Associate Professionals Programme (APO) in January, becoming the fourth Asian country to enlist in the scheme. Other participants have included the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Singapore joined FAO as a member country in 2013. Candidates will be selected after completing written tests and interviews, as carried out by FAO. Qualification requirements include superior academic qualifications, fluency in one UN official language and knowledge of a second one, and a keen interest in a career in international development. Applicants must also be under 35 years of...

Last Wednesday 15 June 2016, the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium, represented by the Ministry of Development Cooperation, and FAO signed a new Framework Arrangement that intends to reinforce FAO-Belgium collaboration across both humanitarian and development assistance, at the same time aligning Belgium’s strategies for sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition-related sectors with FAO’s Strategic Programmes.  The historic partnership between Belgium and FAO has provided a longstanding and substantial support to the Organization through assessed and voluntary contributions. Belgium is a key strategic partner, generously funding innovative and critical areas in support of food security and nutrition, inclusive economic growth,...

15 June 2016, Brussels - Sustainable rural development is key to addressing hunger, poverty and the other root causes of migration, a growing phenomenon which is undermining  many countries' ability to achieve their development goals, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today. "The migratory pressures causing major concern at a global level today result from war, conflict and political instability, but FAO also calls for adequate attention to be given to pressures associated with the very root causes of migration," Graziano da Silva told participants at the European Development Days 2016 in Brussels.