World leaders adopted the World Food Summit Declaration in 1996 and reiterated their commitment at the World Food Summit: Five years later in 2002, calling on governments, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector "to reinforce their efforts so as to act as an international alliance against hunger" and achieve the goal of reducing hunger by half in 2015.

It is in this global effort of solidarity that the Extraordinary Ambassadors of FAO play a meaningful and crucial role. Using their influence, the Extraordinary Ambassadors of FAO act as the Organization's advocates in favour of the fight against hunger and malnutrition, aiming to make Food for All a reality in the 21^st century and beyond.

The FAO Goodwill Ambassadors Programme, which was initiated in 1999, has gained considerable visibility over the years, thanks to the commitment and dedication of these individuals. Several governments have conveyed their interest in associating themselves with the Programme. The Director-General has therefore decided to launch, this year, a new initiative building on the success achieved so far, to enhance the profile and global outreach of the FAO Goodwill Ambassadors Programme: the category of the Extraordinary Ambassadors of FAO.

The main purpose is to increase the efforts of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to attract public attention to the unacceptable situation in which, although the world produces a great abundance of food, more than 850 million people suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Worldwide, this means that almost one person in seven is chronically hungry - one person in five in the developing world.

World leaders adopted the World Food Summit Declaration in 1996 and reiterated their commitment at the World Food Summit: Five years later in 2002, calling on governments, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector "to reinforce their efforts so as to act as an international alliance against hunger" and achieve the goal of reducing hunger by half in 2015.

It is in this global effort of solidarity that the Extraordinary Ambassadors of FAO play a meaningful and crucial role. Using their influence, the Extraordinary Ambassadors of FAO act as the Organization's advocates in favour of the fight against hunger and malnutrition, aiming to make Food for All a reality in the 21^st century and beyond.

FAO Extraordinary Ambassadors are nominated amongst:

• Prominent members of Royal Houses and Principalities/dignitaries of royal lineage;
• Former Heads of State and Government;
• Dignitaries of diplomatic rank and outstanding statesmen/women;
• Spouses of high-ranking individuals.

The criteria for nomination are inherent to the high-ranking of the individual, who might in particular:

• Possess the personality and human dignity required for such high-level representative capacity;
• Demonstrate a strong desire to help mobilize public interest in, and support for, the purposes and principles of FAO;
• Be influential beyond the national borders, thus having the ability to promote the values of FAO internationally.

Extraordinary Ambassadors of FAO may, at the invitation of the Director-General, engage in public advocacy fundraising and in public awareness activities. They may participate in certain major FAO events and have a programme of work which expresses their own commitment to assisting FAO.

They may also provide patronage of events organized in their country, in other countries or at FAO.