Bilateral Meeting with H.E. Eléonore Caroit, Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships, and French Nationals Abroad

Rome - FAO Director-General Dr QU Dongyu met today with Her Excellency Eléonore Caroit, Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships, and French Nationals Abroad.

The Director-General welcomed the Minister and her delegation to FAO. During the meeting, the Director-General and the Minister discussed the importance of the upcoming One Health Summit in Lyon in April 2026 followed by the FAO Global Conference for Action on One Health in Agrifood Systems in Rome in September 2026, highlighting that it will consolidate political commitment and focus action on the interconnections between animals, humans, plants, soil, environmental health, food safety, and nutrition – all under the umbrella of One Health.

The Minister congratulated the Director-General on his leadership, reform agenda, and the successful celebrations of FAO’s 80th Anniversary. She reaffirmed France’s strong commitment to multilateralism and expressed appreciation for FAO’s technical expertise in nutrition and agriculture.

The Director-General recalled the important historical ties between FAO and France and thanked the Minister for France’s strong support over the years. He emphasized the need for reliable funding in the future to support FAO’s broad mandate, which includes land, water, and technical knowledge across multiple sectors. He briefed the Minister on recent reforms and strategic initiatives, including the establishment of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment; the Office of Youth and Women; the Office of Sustainable Development Goals; and the Office of Innovation, as well as the Strategy on Science and Innovation and the Strategy on Climate Change.

The Minister expressed strong support for FAO’s work to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and welcomed the strong global commitment to the Port State Measures Agreement and related initiatives to promote sustainable fisheries.

The Director-General highlighted the benefits of aquaculture and emphasized FAO’s commitment to supporting aquaculture globally as an efficient and sustainable source of food. He also informed the Minister about FAO’s work with Members to establish the Global Programme for Transboundary Animal Diseases (GPP TADs), emphasizing the necessity of sustained funding to support international efforts to prevent and control the spread of animal diseases that threaten food security and livelihoods.

The meeting concluded with a renewed emphasis on the One Health approach and the importance of continued collaboration between FAO and France.