Viet Nam is sending a high-level delegation to a major international conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in a multilateral effort to reform agrifood systems across the Asia-Pacific region, after years of pandemic, climate emergencies, volatile markets and economies that have affected millions of producers and consumers.

The Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (#APRC37) is convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka.

The delegation from Viet Nam is headed by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Mr Le Minh Hoan. “This country’s high-level participation in this important conference will help guide FAO’s work here in Viet Nam and right across the Asia and Pacific region, as all FAO Member Nations share a common goal of achieving the SDGs by 2030, particularly those goals relating to hunger, poverty and inequality,” said Rémi Nono Womdim, FAO Representative in Viet Nam.

There are 46 FAO Member Nations in Asia and the Pacific. Hundreds of high-level participants are registering for a senior official’s meeting (31 January to 2 February - virtually), and a Ministerial Session from 19 to 22 February (in-person). The FAO Director-General, Dr QU Dongyu, is expected to travel from FAO headquarters in Rome to participate in the Ministerial Session.
Not just another meeting

Most of the issues to be discussed are of vital interest to Viet Nam. Ministerial roundtable discussions such as securing future food and nutrition, following lessons learned from the above convergent crises; investment and financing for poverty reduction and modernization, and lessons learned in saving water and food and reducing loss and waste – all have a common interest across the region.

Building resilience will be a key topic. A special Ministerial event will focus on a number of thematic areas, such as championing modernization and digitalization for smallholders in aquaculture and livestock and an overall transformation of agrifood systems in countries across the vast region.

For Viet Nam key priority areas are One Health; Climate change response, environment and natural resources management; Food safety, sustainable production and consumption, and equitable livelihoods for all; Governance, Gender and Persons with Disabilities.