Ceremonies and special side events were held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of FAO country representations as part of the recently concluded FAO Regional Conferences for Latin America and the Caribbean (Montego Bay, Jamaica) and Africa (Khartoum, Sudan).

FAO’s first country representation was established in 1977, followed by 54 more in the ensuing three-year period. This is why the Organization is undertaking a rolling 40th anniversary initiative between 2017 and 2019. Falling at midpoint in the celebrations, the Regional Conferences are an important opportunity for highlighting past achievements made through country-level cooperation. Perhaps more importantly, they are a timely occasion to renew the commitment of FAO, governments and partners to take concerted action for delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Delegates welcomed the 40th anniversary initiative as a chance to acknowledge the Organization’s long-term presence in the field while assuring flexibility, efficiency and a high level of technical capacity at the country level.

At the Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, a video showcased the legacy of FAO’s past and current cooperation with the region’s 15 country offices that are marking 40 years. And the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt sent special greetings to the delegates, with the words: “Healthy food system, healthy diet, and healthy life. Run with that”. The Director-General highlighted the most important transformations catalyzed by FAO in the region, and Myrna Cunningham, former Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, delivered a personal testimony.

At the Regional Conference for Africa, the anniversary was the subject of a side event within the ministerial roundtable. Delegates stressed that additional efforts - aligned with the Malabo Declaration - are required to win the battle against hunger and poverty, especially in the context of conflict, migration and natural disasters, in particular droughts.

This will require a more competitive, productive and diversified agriculture sector that generates employment, particularly for youth. The importance of empowering women and providing smallholders with the necessary tools, inputs and access to information was also noted by delegates. Burkina Faso’s Minister of Agriculture affirmed that malnutrition continues to be a public health issue, hence the importance of increasing the availability of and access to healthy and nutritious local products, including pulses. Ethiopia highlighted the strong dependence of rural areas on agriculture and the need to transform the sector into a driver of the economy, also with a view to increasing incomes. Senegal highlighted its successful National Programme for Livestock Development, while FAO Goodwill Ambassador Kanayo Nwanze from Nigeria mentioned the need to modernize infrastructure and use natural resources sustainably.

Visit 40th anniversary Regional Offices webpages: Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Near East and North Africa.

Country celebrations
Local anniversary celebrations to date have shown strong government interest, highlighting strategic partnerships, including close collaboration with Rome-based and other UN agencies. These relationships are integral to FAO’s decentralization strategy and essential for supporting member countries’ achievement of Agenda 2030, particularly in areas concerning Zero Hunger.

Many activities commemorating the 40 year milestone have been arranged in both regions, sometimes linking them with other major occasions such as World Food Day and Director-General’s official country visits. FAO Niger, for example, published a book for the occasion, while FAO-Congo organized a march against hunger and a forum on agricultural entrepreneurship at a local university. FAO-Tanzania held a round table discussion on climate change and produced short videos for prime-time TV channels, as well as a short documentary on the impact of FAO’s work in Tanzania. And this past September, the Director-General met Tanzania’s President John Magufuli to mark 40 years of FAO presence in the country. FAO-Kenya, organized gardens in various schools and a presentation of its publication “2016 in Review”. In addition, the Representation produced a video on FAO’s work in Kenya with messages from former FAO Representatives.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO-Colombia held a ceremony in which the Organization was distinguished by the House of Representatives with the Simón Bolívar Order of Democracy in recognition of its contribution to the fight against hunger and poverty. FAO-Ecuador organized an open-air fair and a race with participation of the First Lady and various ministers, as well as a solemn assembly inaugurating a plaque in recognition of the country's commitment to food security. FAO-El Salvador convened a special event in presence of the Minister of Agriculture who delivered a keynote speech on FAO’s crucial role in boosting the country’s economy. FAO-Mexico produced a special video and a brochure as part of last year’s World Food Day. This also coincided with the signature of an agreement to upgrade the FAO country office to a Partnership and Liaison Office, the first of this kind in Latin America. Former FAO Representative in Mexico Fernando Soto Baquero wrote an article on this: la opinión de @sotobaquero en @Univ_Opinion #40AñosUNFAOmx.

Establishment of FAO Representations
In 1977, FAO made a far-reaching decision to start opening representations at the country level to bring its technical assistance closer to governments and the people who needed it most.

Between 1977 and 1979, 21 country representations were established in Africa: Tanzania, Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, Kenya, Chad, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger and Benin in 1977; Gambia, Congo DR, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Zambia and Burkina Faso in 1977; and Uganda, Central African Republic, Mozambique and Mali in 1979. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 15 representations are marking four decades of FAO’s long-term presence at the country level: Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, and Ecuador signed the agreement with FAO in 1977; Guyana, Chile, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Uruguay, Bolivia, Barbados and Honduras in 1978; and Brazil and Dominican Republic in 1979.

The series of 40th anniversary celebrations will continue with the upcoming Regional Conferences for Asia and the Pacific (30 April-4 May 2018, Fiji), the Near East (7-11 May, Rome), Europe (14-18 May 2018, Voronezh, Russian Federation) and will culminate at the global level on the occasion of the 41st session of the FAO Conference in 2019.