2024 Induction Seminar for new Permanent Representatives to FAO Welcome Remarks

Excellences,

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to all of you!

I am very happy to welcome all new Permanent Representatives, and Deputy and Alternate Permanent Representatives to FAO.

This is a new start for you, and for me as I start my second term as FAO Director-General – especially after the New Year’s break it is now time to get to work!

I am happy to see so many new faces, as well as not-so-new ones.

This is your organization. FAO is Member-owned and Member-led.

How you lead it, depends on you. Remember, you are a bridge between your Capitals and the Organization, and you need to be a constructive bridge and player. You need to be both professional/technical and diplomatic in your relations.

FAO is a UN intergovernmental Specialized Agency, in line with Article 57 of the UN Charter. Although we are part of the UN family, we are not a part of the UN.

As a Specialized Agency we are governed by the provisions set out in the FAO Constitution and the FAO Basic Texts.

Last week, Ms Donata Rugarabamu, the FAO Legal Counsel and Director of the FAO Legal Office, shared with me research carried out by UC Berkeley as they are undertaking a historical review on how FAO’s Constitution came to be 80 years ago.

History is fundamental.

I always joke with some politicians and leaders when I ask them why Chinese is the first language of the FAO Constitution on the wall at the FAO Entrance – no, it’s not because I am the DG from China! That wall was bult many years ago, long before I was elected.

It is because it reflects FAO’s history: when the Organization was established 80 years ago the official languages were Chinese, English, French and Spanish. Arabic and Russian came later.

Another example is the FAO Regional Groups. We are the only UN Specialized Agency that has a Regional Office for North America, with only two members: Canada and the United States of America. Why? Because FAO is the only UN Specialized Agency established by the President of the United States of America, Franklin D. Roosevelt, together with Canada, China, United Kingdom, France and the 42 founding Members of the Organization.

These are the reasons why I always emphasize how important it is to know the history! As a Professor, I always stressed this to my students.

Today, I note that there are not many participants in person, but this is because of the “new normal” since the pandemic. Now, almost all our meetings are in hybrid form.

This is also a way to improve FAO’s efficiency and effectiveness, especially for developing countries for whom it is more cost-effective to participate online rather than incur travel expenses for a brief participation, unless they deem it necessary to participate in person of course.

This is one of the reasons why the World Food Forum has been so successful over the past two years, because participants have the option to participate virtually.

This is also the reason for the establishment of the World Food Forum: to create a platform for the inclusion and engagement of youth and women; as well as a platform for science and innovation; and for hand-in-hand investment. These are the three basic pillars to accelerate transformation of global agrifood systems.

Last year’s World Food Forum brought together more than 6 000 participants to FAO headquarters, with over 65 000 online participants, with attendees from 186 countries.

The new hybrid modality also applies to the FAO Governing Bodies. This “new normal” is in line with the principle of inclusivity.

We have changed the business models to ensure the Organization is fit-for-purpose, but we cannot change the rules set out in the Basic Texts, which set out the rules for the effective running of the FAO Governing Bodies. These rules can only be amended by a two-thirds majority of the Membership.

As FAO Director-General, when in doubt I always refer to the Basic Texts first. For this reason, I have urged all FAO employees, and Members, to familiarize themselves with the Basic Texts. It is fundamental.  

I also urge you to always consult. FAO has an open-door policy based on full transparency, and we are fully digital to enable interaction at all levels, either formally or informally, including through social media platforms.

As I have said from the beginning upon taking office in August 2019, FAO is an old, poor, and large Organization within the UN system. For this reason, we need your support.

Finally, I wish to say that as most of you might not be used to working on agrifood systems and environment issues such as soil and water, and on science and innovation, science, or on gender, women, and youth issues, it is essential that we learn together, learn from each other, learn from your peers and from us at FAO.

I have also come here to learn from you, to be enriched by your varied and rich backgrounds and expertise.

Within the Organization, we have employees representing 186 Members, and each one brings their own small added advantage to our collective work.

In conclusion, I wish you all the best for your stay here in Italy and in Rome, our generous host city.

As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day, and so too changing FAO cannot be done in one day. I have been working on it since my first term and now I will focus on accelerating the renewal of this Organization to ensure it is well equipped to effectively support Members in addressing current and future challenges.

Let us work together to ensure FAO is fit-for-purpose to support those who need us the most.

I thank you.