Director-General urges heads of FAO country offices to take collective action to the next level

Bangkok – For the second year running, FAO has signaled its commitment to putting the needs of countries and regions front and center in the collective effort to steer the planet’s agrifood systems onto a more productive and sustainable pathway.

Initiated last year by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, the annual Global Working Conference of FAO Representatives (FAORs) brings the heads of the Organization’s country offices together for strategic discussions focused on how FAO can improve efficiency while ramping up efforts to address national ambitions around agrifood system transformation.

This year’s event (10-13 December 2024) is hosted by the Organization’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in Bangkok, with some 81 heads of FAO country offices attending and others connecting remotely. Senior leadership and other staff from the Organization’s Rome headquarters are also participating, bringing the total number to 138.

In his opening remarks, the Director-General said these discussions come at “a critical moment,” as FAO seeks to advance its 2022-31 Strategic Framework amid a rapidly evolving global development landscape marked by food security challenges, the climate crisis, and sustainable development demands, within a difficult financial landscape.

Praising the assembly of FAORs for their crucial work “on the front lines,” QU said the conference “represents a major step forward in bringing our collective action to the next level.”

Thailand’s Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prof. Dr. Narumon Pinyosinwat, underscored the importance of agrifood systems in economic growth and sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region, and thanked FAO as a force for change.

Other speakers included Dr. William Dar, former Secretary of Agriculture of the Philippines and previous Director-General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

Putting countries in the driver’s seat

This new series of annual working conferences and supporting action plans not only underscores FAO’s commitment to decentralization, said FAO’s Director-General, but also the importance of keeping the Organization connected to the countries and communities it aims to serve, as well as ensuring alignment with headquarters.

He stressed how FAO is leveraging its global footprint, unparalleled knowledge base, and long-standing programmes of work in every world region to address context-specific agrifood system challenges in context-appropriate ways, across the globe.

As a sign of how the Organization has already moved to be more responsive to the needs of its Members, Qu highlighted growing participation in FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) this year, with 87 countries now participating and an additional 20 million USD in extrabudgetary funding secured to finance the effort. .

Leaner, nimbler, more innovative

In tandem with the annual FAORs conference initiative, FAO has moved to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and innovate.

Among such recent steps mentioned by the Director-General: the implementation of a surge mechanism to allow rapid action by FAO when food crises emerge and a new series of initiatives to mainstream innovation into FAO’s day-to-day work.

“These initiatives bring us together, giving FAORs and headquarters the tools and space to tackle challenges creatively and drive progress on the ground,” said Qu. Additionally, FAO has enacted a series of reforms to improve logistical operations and supply chain management, simplify procurement, strengthen risk management, and enhance project development processes.

Where the rubber meets the road

FAO Representatives are key players in implementing the Organization’s Strategic Framework globally, on the ground, leading the delivery of FAO’s programmes in the countries where they serve in close collaboration with the host government and other partners.

Over the next three days, the FAORs gathered in Bangkok, FAO-Director General Qu Dongyu and other senior leaders will dig into a range of topics ranging from innovative approaches to agrifood systems transformation, to strengthening FAO’s strategic positioning in the field, to enhancing operational areas.

Noting the complexities evident in the hosting Asia-Pacific Region – where some of the most innovative agricultural practices can be found alongside food insecurity, hunger and poverty – Qu said: “This complex environment confirms, once again, how important it is for us to come together to think together, learn together, and collaborate together to scale up our strategy, global reach and impact.”