FAO-Nepal celebrated its 40th anniversary alongside World Food Day. FAO-Nepal and the national World Food Day Committee, chaired by the Director-General of the Department of Agriculture, convened an official ceremony. Participants included Ministers, donors and UN partners. On this occasion, 100 farmers were also awarded a prize for having shown outstanding performances in recent years. An agro-fair also took place in the Jawalakhel area of Nepal.  

FAO Tanzania has been very active in celebrating its 40th anniversary. The office has developed posters, banners and flyers to mark the event, and – in September – the Director-General visited Tanzania to meet the President. The country’s Vice President also participated in a special event commemorating 40 years of successful cooperation. In October 2017, at the same time as staging a roundtable discussion on the impact of climate change on smallholder Tanzanian farmers, FAO-Tanzania also staged a photo exhibition showcasing four decades of FAO field assistance.

FAO-Myanmar held a special 40th anniversary FAO-IOM panel discussion coinciding with World Food Day activities. The event took place at Yezin University and focused on the importance of rural development to address Myanmar’s migration challenges. Celebrations included a tree planting ceremony to highlight the 40 years of collaboration between FAO and the Government of Myanmar, as well as a photo contest. 

FAO-Ecuador aligned its celebrations with this year’s World Food Day. An open-air fair and a race with participation of the First Lady and various Ministers were organized jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, WFP and UN Women. Parliamentarians and Ministers gathered in a solemn assembly followed by the inauguration of a plaque in recognition of the country's commitment to ensuring food security. A video with testimonials from FAO employees and the Ecuadorian people is being also produced.

FAO-Niger kicked off 40th anniversary celebrations by publishing a book for the occasion, 40 ans de coopération entre la FAO et le Niger, Oeuvrer ensemble pour un monde Faim Zéro as well as Op-eds in local newspapers. Read the article La FAO, quarante ans de présence et d’appuis au Niger.   

FAO-Lebanon: the agreement in February 1977 to open a country Representation in Lebanon marked the beginning of the FAO's long term presence at country level, and the office was officially opened on 14 June of that year, and in June 2017 – 40 years later – the FAO Representative hosted an Iftar dinner, with participation from the current and former Ministers of Agriculture as well as other high-level government officials partners from UN agencies, and FAO staff. FAO-Lebanon also organized a timeline photo exhibition for the occasion, showcasing projects in the field and an Op-ed was published in local newspapers (The Daily Star & Annahar).

FAO-Senegal convened a high-level conference end of September 2017 with participation of the Minister of Agriculture and other high-level officials. A special panel discussed the interlinkages between the SDGs, climate change and agriculture, and a photo exhibition illustrated FAO and Senegal’s longstanding collaboration at country level.

Graziano da Silva meets Tanzania’s President John Magufuli