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overflow-hidden mb-4" style="background-image: url('https://www.fao.org/images/corporatelibraries/fao-images/speechbanner.jpg');"> <div class="text-white text-center px-4 py-5"> <h1 class="detail-title">176th Session of the FAO Council Opening Statement</h1> <h4>by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General </h4> <h4></h4> <p class="date">02/12/2024 </p> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-12 col-sm-10 col-lg-10 mx-auto"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-12"> <div class="detail__body"> <p><em>Independent Chairperson and members of the Council,</em></p><p><em>Excellencies,</em></p><p><em>Ladies and Gentlemen,</em></p><p><em>Dear Colleagues,</em><br></p><p><em>Good morning from Rome.</em><br></p><p>On 16 October we started the one-year countdown to FAO’s 80th Anniversary!</p><p>As we reach our 80th Anniversary, we should celebrate our institutional renewal, building upon the transformation pathway we embarked on together in 2019, to ensure that our Organization is more fit for purpose for the next 20 years, and beyond,</p><p>In line with the ever-evolving global development agenda, and to ensure that our children and our grandchildren will reap the benefits of the seeds we plant today.</p><p>Our shared vision is to strengthen the Four Betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, for a shared prosperity leaving no one behind.</p><p><em>Dear Colleagues,</em></p><p>Ours is a shared vision for a more efficient, more effective and more coherent Organization, supported by enhanced governance and leadership, to ensure even more meaningful, transparent and visionary guidance as we move forward with the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 for the next decade, and beyond.</p><p>The world gathered in New York in September this year at the Summit of the Future and, together, adopted the Pact for the Future to galvanize our collective efforts for a better world and a better future for humanity.</p><p>We need to make sure that FAO plays its rightful role as a leader in this journey, as our noble mandate has obliged us to do over the past 80 years, and which will obligate us to continue moving forward, together, and stronger than ever before.</p><p>The world’s hungry, the world’s farmers, the world’s consumers, they all rely on us to fulfil their vision of a better world, guided by the Four Betters in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.</p><p>Let us continue to work together to enhance the Organization’s capacity to support Members in the transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable.</p><p>In my Manifesto of 2023, I presented a road map for moving from vision to action. Building a modern FAO in line with its core competencies. A new vision, new structure and new initiatives, to build a new FAO. Working together to strengthen FAO’s capacity and capability to serve its Members better.</p><p>In May this year, at the Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees, I put forward the proposal to revisit the Basic Texts - as the last adjustment had started in 2015, with final approval in 2017.</p><p>Over the past ten years, world architecture has changed, and our Basic Texts need to reflect these changes, and ensure that FAO has a legal and constitutional framework that is fit-for-purpose to assist us in continuing to deliver on our mandate to the best of our collective ability, in line with our new business model and structure.</p><p>Already in May, I invited Members to consider it seriously, holistically, and professionally. And I urge you to consider it, above all, from a technical perspective.</p><p>Six months ago, I informed Members that I would be inviting the Council to consider my proposals for institutional renewal based on different requests from Members, aimed at marking the 80th Anniversary of our great Organization, for further consideration at the FAO Ministerial Conference in 2025.</p><p><em>Dear Colleagues,</em><br></p><p>As I provide a brief overview of key achievements since the last Council session, please consider this complementary to the report I provided at the last Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees.</p><p>FAO drives economic cooperation within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the G20 and the G7 by tackling global food insecurity and poverty through agrifood systems transformation.</p><p>Last month at the APEC Leaders’ Dialogue in Lima, Peru, I stressed inclusive growth and resilience, focusing on rural populations and marginalized groups. These priorities align with SDG 1 (no poverty) and SDG 2 (zero hunger).</p><p>In the G20, FAO supports the Brazilian Presidency’s Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty initiative by hosting its Support Mechanism to mobilize resources, enhance social protections, empower smallholder farmers, blue economy, and promote healthy diets. This initiative highlights the G20’s leadership in advancing global food security.</p><p>In September, in Cuiaba, Brazil, during the G20 Agriculture Working Group Ministerial Declaration, FAO’s Blue Transformation Roadmap 2022-2030 was officially recognized as a key framework for achieving long-term sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.</p><p>The Ministerial Declaration also highlighted important FAO instruments, such as the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture, recently adopted at the 36th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), which provide guidance for developing and implementing public policies, strategies, plans, and legal and institutional frameworks for sustainable aquaculture growth.</p><p>In the G7, FAO assisted the Agriculture Ministers’ meeting plus, and the Development-Humanitarian Aid meeting plus, championing innovative funding solutions like the Financing for Shock-Driven Crises Facility, providing anticipatory, rapid-response financing to prevent food crises. By leveraging risk capital and early interventions, this mechanism transforms emergency funding into proactive, cost-effective solutions.</p><p>Across APEC, G20, and G7, FAO emphasizes cross-regional bridges, connecting vulnerable populations with markets, financial tools, and digital resources. Investments in rural infrastructure and digital inclusion boost smallholder productivity and drive sustainable growth, ensuring better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all.</p><p>I would like to commend the Governments of Brazil, Italy and Peru, and others, for bringing food security back to the centre of the global discussions at the G20, G7 and APEC respectively, and beyond.</p><p>Last week, I attended the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ministerial Conference (which takes place once every four years) in Vienna where we celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.</p><p>For six decades our unique collaboration – the only of its kind in the entire UN system – has provided state-of-the-art research, science, technologies, and capacity building for the majority of Members, and impactful solutions for global food and nutrition security.</p><p>During the Ministerial Conference, I also showcased our collaboration through the joint FAO/IAEA Atoms4Food Initiative, launched last year during the 2023 World Food Forum.</p><p>One year later, nine countries have already officially expressed their need to receive support from Atoms4Food, another three have provided financial support to the Initiative, and one country has expressed its willingness to provide technical support in specific areas.</p><p>From Cali to Baku, and now in Riyadh, FAO adopted a common approach for this year’s three Rio COPs to encourage ambitious action towards the transformation of agrifood systems.</p><p>I attended COP29 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku where I underlined the climate finance deficit. I also highlighted that conflict, along with climate and economic crises, pushed the number of people facing hunger to 733 million in 2023.</p><p>FAO has worked closely with the COP Presidencies to convey the coherent and consistent message that agrifood systems transformation offers concrete, scalable solutions to the climate crisis.</p><p>At COP29, FAO also welcomed the Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers, and we are proud to host the initiative as part of the FAST Partnership, welcoming Azerbaijan and Egypt as co-chairs.</p><p><em>Dear Colleagues,</em></p><p>The FAO Forestry Roadmap: From Vision to Action 2024-2031, was endorsed at the 27th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO), contributing to the implementation of the FAO Strategic Framework.</p><p>The 2nd Session of the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) Sub-Committee on Livestock in July, agreed to develop a negotiated Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Livestock Transformation.</p><p>The first of the Regional Conferences on Sustainable Livestock Transformation took place in November, starting with the one for Latin America and Caribbean hosted in Uruguay; and the Asia and the Pacific Region hosted in Thailand. In early 2025, we will continue with regional fora in Europe, the Near East, and Africa.</p><p>Following the recommendations of the 29th Session of COAG, FAO has developed the One Health in Agrifood Systems for Global Health and Food Security Framework, while also strengthening internal coordination across the Organization and with external partners, including the Quadripartite.</p><p>FAO's leadership in addressing plastic pollution was also made evident through the development of the Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Sustainable Use and Management of Plastics in Agriculture, presented at COAG.</p><p>In 2025, FAO will launch the Poultry and Feed Initiative in Africa, aimed at scaling up poultry and feed production across the continent by leveraging public-private partnerships for enhanced nutrition and livelihoods.</p><p>This week, we will be observing World Soil Day on 5 December, and this year for the first time, the global event will be hosted outside FAO headquarters in Pak Chong, Thailand.</p><p>It will be a joint hybrid celebration linking virtually with the CCD COP16 in Riyadh, under the global theme of “Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage”, we will mark the 10th anniversary of World Soil Day.</p><p>Next week, I will travel to Bangkok where I will attend the International Soil and Water Forum on 9 December, co-organized by FAO and Thailand.</p><p>The Forum will address urgent global challenges of water scarcity and soil and land degradation, building on commitments made during the Rome Water Dialogue, to develop an action plan to halt and reverse soil and water degradation.</p><p>At the last Council, Members stressed the importance of Food Safety, and the need to continue advancing science- and evidence-based normative and standard setting work.</p><p>The Codex Strategic Plan 2026-31, adopted at the recently held 47th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, will ensure the body continues to be fit-for-purpose and ready to address the challenges of the future.</p><p>The work of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) also remains key with regard to plant health, with the e-Phyto Solution playing a critical role in enhancing the efficiency of international trade of plants.</p><p>We continue to see the benefits of investments in South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) at the country level, and it is an important complement to the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative.</p><p>I welcome the recognition of the positive ongoing progress and importance of SSTC, as highlighted in the follow-up report to the evaluation of the programme.</p><p>There is great potential to utilize and scale up SSTC further, with more partners, and in more countries.<br></p><p>FAO’s flagship Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) programme has recognized 89 sites around the world and is working to enlarge the community, seeking to reach 100 sites in 2025 to be recognized at a global event in October next year.</p><p>For this, the GIAHS Scientific Advisory Group was recently renewed for the next two years and is working to assess proposed sites.</p><p><em>Dear Colleagues,</em></p><p>In line with our mandate, FAO takes a leadership role in accelerating policies and actions across agrifood systems that can have direct impacts to enable access to and consumption of healthy diets for all.</p><p>The FAO/World Health Organization (WHO) Joint Statement “What are healthy diets?” launched in October outlines the four principles of healthy diets – adequate, balanced, diverse, moderate – and urges consensus in recognition of the universal application of these evidence-based principles, while celebrating the wide diversity of dietary patterns around the world.</p><p>For the 2025 Comprehensive Review of the SDGs, FAO, together with other UN agencies, submitted the proposal to include the "prevalence of minimum dietary diversity among children and women" as an SDG2 indicator.</p><p>Data and statistics are a key focus of FAO’s work, with statistics as a key cross-cutting function of the Organization, while data is recognized as one of the accelerators for the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31.</p><p>To strengthen our work on data and statistics, a new dedicated Unit for Data Quality has been set up to facilitate oversight of the quality of FAO data and statistics.</p><p>We continue to prioritize our efforts to deliver critical, emergency agricultural aid and assistance to farmers most affected by conflict, the climate crisis and economic shocks.</p><p>In my statement to the Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees last month, I outlined FAO’s intervention in each of the hunger hotspots where it is foreseen that acute food insecurity will increase at the highest level, including Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali.</p><p><em>Dear Colleagues,</em></p><p>The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 marked the start of a transformative journey for FAO. In the years since then, we have come a long way in implementing the programmes and mechanisms we put in place.</p><p>And we have proved that our Strategic Framework is solid.</p><p>Recent external assessments have recognized that FAO has a fundamental role in all of its areas of expertise and has retained its leading position in its technical focus through the Four Betters, and our innovative strategic thinking.</p><p>The Reviewed Strategic Framework 2022-31, the Medium-Term Plan 2026-29, and the Programme of Work and Budget 2026-27, provide an opportunity for us together to build on lessons learned from implementing the Strategic Framework and to respond to evolving external trends and drivers at global and regional levels.</p><p>We aim to identify opportunities for scaling up work and increasing impact, while leveraging FAO's comparative advantages and taking into account strategic foresight insights on future trends and challenges.</p><p>Together, these documents will provide a clear roadmap for FAO's contribution to agrifood systems transformation and the achievement of the SDGs.</p><p>This is truly a pivotal moment that will shape not only FAO's direction but the future of global food and agriculture for years to come.</p><p>I look forward to Council’s recommendations in this regard.</p><p><em>Dear Colleagues,</em><br></p><p>Next week in Bangkok, we will hold the 2nd Global Working Conference of FAO Representatives(FAORs), as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen working together as One FAO family.</p><p>This year’s meeting will focus on enhancing alignment between Decentralized Offices and FAO headquarters, ensuring a unified and effective approach to emerging challenges and opportunities at country level.</p><p>Another highlight of this year’s meeting will be the introduction of a new report I have proposed: the FAOR’s Annual Working Report. This report will be completed by each FAOR, reflecting their personal insights, highlighting success stories, providing actionable recommendations, and outlining the challenges faced by FAORs.</p><p>It will also underscore the urgency of finding the best solutions to ensure the effective implementation of FAO’s priorities at the country level.</p><p>Outreach and communication remain important priorities for me.</p><p>During these last six months of 2024 (and December is not over yet) I have been even more busy in ensuring the FAO remains a valued partner on the international stage, and that food and agriculture remain central to the multilateral agenda.</p><p>Since June, I have travelled to 21 countries, during which – and always the most important part of any visit for me – I have undertaken 60 field visits (which amounts to an average of three field visits per country) to see firsthand the work of our farmers on the ground, the latest innovations from academic and research institutions, and identifying, together, areas that need increased technical support and attention from FAO.</p><p>Here at headquarters and during my official visits to member countries, I held more than 250 bilateral meetings with Heads of State and Government, Ministers, Vice Ministers, High-Level government representatives, heads of international organizations, financial institutions and civil society, as well as representatives of the private sector, with the objective of strengthening and increasing collaboration with partners, working towards our common goal of transforming global agrifood systems.</p><p>I have participated in almost 100 Summits, High-Level Conferences and global meetings, during which I delivered statements and interacted with policy makers and decision takers, ensuring that we move from vision to action.</p><p>In total, I delivered approximately 200 speeches, both in person and virtually, and via video message.</p><p>Overall, over the past year, I have consistently kept a strong presence on social media, posting over 250 tweets on X, issuing over 200 press releases and web stories, posting over 200 readouts, and submitting approximately 30 written contributions in various forms ranging from forewords for publications, written statements and Opinion Editorials, among many others.</p><p>These intense outreach and advocacy efforts are aimed at ensuring a strong focus on the Four Betters, for a global convergence on the need to ensure better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life – leaving no one behind.</p><p>World Food Day 2024 once again had a major impact on a global scale as one of the most important annual communications operations at FAO.</p><p>A resounding call to action for the “Right to foods for a better life and a better future” was made in over 63 languages (a 37 percent increase from 2023).</p><p>Combined with the World Food Forum 2024 campaign held the same week, we reached two billion social media accounts and platforms - for the first time at FAO we can count in billions!</p><p>FAO’s publishing programme has made strides in governance and digital-first publishing, and is increasingly viewed as a leader among its peers.</p><p>The now fully functional Publications Board ensures quality assurance for all categories of publications, accompanied by comprehensive guidance.</p><p>In 2024, FAO also launched the new online Knowledge Repository and initiated the digitization of the FAO Library’s historical collections.</p><p>An Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot interface is in the works to further facilitate access to FAO knowledge.</p><p>On 16 October 2025, we will inaugurate the Food and Agriculture Museum & Network, which will further elevate FAO’s visibility and centrality on a global scale, preparing for the future by designing longer and doing concrete.<br></p><p><em>Dear Colleagues,</em></p><p>In my 2023 Manifesto I conveyed my hope that we could work together to improve delivery, accountability and transparency.<br></p><p>And I emphasized then, as I do now, that the success of FAO relies on the ownership, trust and support of its Members.<br></p><p>As FAO approaches its 80th Anniversary, let us strive together to make it a more dynamic and reinvigorated organization, including in its governance.<br></p><p>The establishment of an effective system is the precondition for the efficient operation of an organization.<br></p><p>Since I took office in 2019, I have adopted a holistic and integrated approach, with science-based analysis, meticulous planning and decisive actions to push forward FAO’s institutional renewal leading to tangible new results.<br></p><p>The past five and a half years have started to write a new chapter in FAO’s history, together.<br></p><p>A chapter that points to a profound renaissance, founded on our common aspiration to think, learn, and contribute together for the better of our organization.<br></p><p>Let us continue writing this chapter, together.<br></p><p><em>Dear Colleagues,</em><br></p><p>Now, I am pleased to inform you that I have selected Mr Godfrey Magwenzi for the position of Deputy Director-General (DDG) of FAO.</p><p>The selection decision is the result of a rigorous, competitive and transparent process, in view of the retirement of Ms Maria Helena Semedo in July this year.</p><p>We received 354 applications, of which eight candidates were shortlisted for interviews. The interviews were conducted by a panel, consisting of the two Deputy Director-Generals of FAO, the Chief Scientist ad interim, the Director of Human Resources ad interim, and an external Member.</p><p>You all know Godfrey well, as he has served as the Director of Cabinet since 2020, executing his duties with utmost professionalism and competency, bringing his broad and in-depth experience as a long-serving seasoned diplomat to the position, including as Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to FAO for five years.</p><p>I look forward to continuing working with Godrey, and the whole Core Leadership team, with renewed energy, in the spirit of the institutional renewal of FAO.</p><p>In line with established Rules, I invite you to endorse my appointment of Mr Godrey Magwenzi as Deputy Director-General by applause.</p><p>Thank you.</p>  </div> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer id="Contentplaceholder1_T198B1AC4002_Col00" 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