Bilateral meeting with H.E. Mohamad Sabu, Minister for Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia

Rome - On the sidelines of the 44th Session of the FAO Ministerial Conference, the FAO Director-General met with H.E. Mohamad Sabu, Minister for Agriculture and Food Security of Malaysia.

Minister Sabu introduced his delegation and expressed appreciation for FAO’s longstanding support to Malaysia. He emphasized that Malaysia placed great value on cooperation with FAO and reiterated his country’s commitment to working closely with the Organization. The Minister also shared his concern regarding the shifting international landscape, particularly the disengagement of certain major countries from multilateral institutions, and underscored the importance of preserving the integrity of the multilateral system.

The Director-General thanked Minister Sabu for Malaysia’s continued engagement and support. He reaffirmed that FAO remained a professional and technical agency, driven by science-based, neutral, and inclusive approaches to addressing global food security challenges.

In response to Malaysia’s interest in enhancing the participation of women and youth in FAO, the Director-General provided an overview of how FAO was mainstreaming women and youth across all its programme of work, including through the FAO Youth and Women’s Committees as well as institutionalized through the Office of Youth and Women. The Director-General also underscored FAO’s foundational principle of “one country, one vote,” which guarantees equal representation and decision-making power for all Members.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation.