The success of sustainable long-term development in Asia and the Pacific will depend on the region’s ability to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, a senior FAO Official today told a UN forum on regional sustainable development to 2015 and beyond.

“FAO’s vision for Rio+20 and beyond is to end hunger and make the transition to a sustainable agriculture and food system,” said Sumiter Broca on behalf of Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific.  

Broca was speaking at the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum for Sustainable Development, convened by the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and hosted by the Royal Thai Government.

The three day forum has brought together senior figures in government, multi-lateral organizations and research institutes from across the region to examine progress in reaching the Millennium Development Goals and “charting the way for an ambitious post-2015 development agenda” for Asia and the Pacific.

Broca told the gathering that FAO Post-2015 vision focuses on three priority areas, which are relevant to this region:

1) Eradicating hunger and improving human nutrition: with emphasis on fair access to resources; employment and income; targeting smallholder producers and the landless; chronically hungry people with a well-targeted approach and social safety nets.

2) Sustainable consumption and production systems: with emphasis on reducing food losses and waste; investing in the whole food chain; promoting sustainable intensification across all food production systems; and promoting climate-smart and energy-smart agriculture.

3) Inclusive and effective governance: with emphasis on inclusive, nationally owned and flexible governance mechanisms; sound policies and strong institutions; and an equitable distribution of transition costs and benefits.

In reference to the outcome of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons (HLPE) on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, Broca pointed out that three of the twelve Universal Goals identified are directly related to FAO’s work.

Universal Goal 5 explicitly aims to “ensure food security and good nutrition” with five targets which are well-aligned with the UN Secretary General’s Zero Hunger Challenge.  Universal Goal 9 aims to “manage natural resource assets sustainably" and Universal Goal 1 aims to "end poverty”. 

“These are directly relevant to this region and FAO fully supports these universal goals as potential post 2015 priorities,” said Broca, adding that mitigation and adaptation to climate change and disaster risk reduction may also be considered.

The statement delivered on behalf of the FAO Assistant Director-General concluded by saying that the Organizations stands fully committed to “support member countries and work together with ESCAP and other UN Agencies, CSOs and partners towards achievement of sustainable development in this region.”