Bilateral meeting with Ms Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS

Tashkent - FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met with Ms Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General (USG) and High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, in Tashkent on the sidelines of the LLDC Forum on Food Security and SDGs, co-hosted by Uzbekistan and FAO, to discuss the outcomes of the Forum and way forward.

The USG congratulated FAO for co-organizing the successful event and noted how the outcomes of the LLDC Forum could fit into the preparations for the Third UN Conference on LLDCs in Botswana later this year.  Ms Rabab referred to the new programme of action, the high priority given to agriculture and increased productivity, and specific deliverables arising from agricultural research hubs and expressed hope that FAO could lead these initiatives. She also appreciated Uzbekistan’s efforts on assuring food security. Ms Rabab emphasized the importance of freedom of transit in terms of trading, and supply chains for agrifood products. The USG further noted Botswana’s emphasis on climate change and food security, and she proposed hosting similar side events during LLDC3 to the ones held during the Forum.

The Director General stated that the Organization would utilize existing networks to lead agricultural research and extension on harvesting, and noted the significance of the Ministerial Network that had been established following the successful Ministerial Meeting on SIDS, LDCs, LLDCs organized by FAO in 2023, to support knowledge sharing and collective actions to address food security issues in these vulnerable countries.

Both agreed to continue working together to support countries in accelerating the transformation of their agrifood systems to achieve the SDGs, especially in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, leaving no one behind.