FAO has the honour to invite you to "Soils, a solid ground for life", an event marking the 2015 World Soil Day and the closure of the 2015 International Year of Soils

Agenda

Event moderated by Ms. Marcela Villarreal, Director, Office for Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity Development, FAO

12:30 - 12:40

Opening by Mr. José Graziano da Silva, Director-General, FAO

Message from Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General (tbc)

12:40 - 12:50

“Healthy soils for a healthy life”:

-              H.E. Mr. Alexander N. Tkachev, Minister of Agriculture, Russian Federation (video message)

-              Mr. Humberto Delgado Rosa, Director, Natural Capital, DG Environment, European Commission

-              Ms. Monique Barbut, UNCCD Executive Secretary (video message)

12:50 - 13:00

Presentation of the outcomes of the International Year of Soils, H.E. Sompong Nimchuar, Permanent Representative of Thailand to FAO, Chair of the IYS Steering Committee

13:00 - 13:05

IYS Video animation “Soils and the SDGs”

13:05 - 13:15

Launch of the Status of the World’s Soil Resources Report, Mr. Luca Montanarella, Chair of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils

13:15 - 13:25

Testimonies from IYS stakeholders

13:25 - 13:40

Soils beyond 2015: using the IYS legacy, Mr. Moujahed Achouri, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO

13:40 - 13:45

Family Farming, Soils and Pulses, the linkages between the International Years in FAO, H.E. Nadeem Riyaz, Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to FAO, Co-Chair of the IYP Steering Committee

13:45 - 13:55

Remarks by the Special Ambassadors for the International Year of Soils, Prof. Claire Chenu and Prof. Tekalign Mamo

13:55 - 14:00

Closure of the event by Mr. Daniel J. Gustafson, Deputy Director-General Operations, FAO

Music especially composed for the International Year of Soils by the “Formidable Vegetable Sound System” will be played before the event starts.