Closing Ceremony

The grand celebration of the event’s successes

Featuring high level messages and statements from FAO, other United Nations agencies and intergovernmental organizations as well as from the Director-General-elect of FAO, Mr. José Graziano da Silva.

9 December 2011
09:00-13:00
Plenary Hall

The Eminent leaders in South-South cooperation, including government officials, leaders of United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations, and other significant leaders of Southern initiatives, will share their ongoing commitment to South-South cooperation and highlight the importance of South-South cooperation going forward. In addition, the Closing Ceremony will update reporting on initiatives launched at the GSSD Expos 2009 and 2010.

The Closing Ceremony will start with opening remarks by the Deputy Director-General (Operational). The Closing Ceremony will also feature statements from the President of the sixty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly, the President of the UN General Assembly High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, the Executive  Director of UNFPA, the UNIDO Director-General, the WFP Executive Director and the Director-General-elect of FAO, Mr. José Graziano da Silva. 

It will continue with the presentation of the annual South-South Cooperation Awards to individuals and organizations that have been outstanding champions of South-South and triangular cooperation around the world, and it will conclude with the performances of several FAO Goodwill Ambassadors.

Detailed Programme:

Master of Ceremony, Ben Malor

Remarks by Mr. Manoj Juneja, Deputy Director-General of FAO

Statements

• Statement from the FAO Director-General-elect Mr. José Graziano da Silva
• Statement from H.E. Ambassador Tariq Ali Al-Alsani, on behalf of H.E. Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the UN General Assembly’s Sixty-Sixth Session
• Statement from H.E. Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations and President of the UN General Assembly High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation
• Statement from Mr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive  Director of UNFPA
  Statement on behalf of the UNIDO Director-General to be read by Ms. Amita Misra, Director, Bureau for Regional Programmes, UNIDO
• Statement on behalf of WFP Executive Director to be read by Mr. Amir Abdulla, Deputy Executive Director and CCO, External Relations, WFP

Musical interlude

Maestro Marcos Vinicius (Brazil) – guitar – accompanied by pianist Maestro Vincenzo Silvestris

Awarding Ceremony

Recitals by FAO Goodwill Ambassadors

Mr Marco Masini and Mr Paolo Vallesi – Italy – (in representation of the Italian Singers’ Soccer Team)

Closing Remarks

Mr. Manoj Juneja, Deputy Director-General of FAO