Director-General QU Dongyu

Annual Tripartite Executive Meeting Opening Remarks

by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

17/02/2021

Opening Remarks by Dr. QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

Annual Tripartite Executive Meeting

 17 February 2021

As prepared 

Dear Colleagues,

1. This first virtual Annual meeting in the Tripartite’s long history is a reflection of our adaptation to the new digital world.

2. It shows how we do not allow this pandemic to keep us from delivering.

3. I applaud the efforts of WHO, and Tedros's leadership, in the year-long battle to contain COVID-19.

4. I also wish to acknowledge the OIE’s, and Monique’s leadership, and thank you for your support in ensuring that the Tripartite continues its important work despite the pandemic. 

5. Building a global One Health architecture is our historic contribution to the prevention of future pandemics originating from animal sources.

6. FAO is pleased to take over the chair of the Tripartite from OIE for the next 12 months.

7. While our organizations have different mandates, they are inter-related and linked to the global reality - linked to One Health.

8. FAO's core mandate is Sustainable Development Goal 2: to eradicate hunger and produce enough food in a sustainable manner for a growing world population.

9. Our work is guided by a strategic vision with the goal of achieving the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.

10. One Health is essential to all these as it links human health, animal health and environmental health.

11. We need to look at how we can strengthen the Tripartite to be even more effective and efficient.

12. We need to break down silos, streamline processes and increase our leadership leverage – working together with partners in preventing another pandemic by our best efforts.

13. The world is looking to us for a One Health architecture that will produce synergies and create leadership. 

14. We can set the example of concrete and impactful cooperation between ministries of health, of agriculture and other relevant. Be clear that Tripartite arrangement is backbone of the architecture.

15. One Health can only happen when ministries overcome silos at national level, and it will only function globally by their sharing information and working closely together.

16. We need to be ready to respond with a strengthened One Health approach, where solid cooperation is our guiding principle, to the many global initiatives which call on our support and coordination.

17. We need to invest in this support by leveraging our strengths and comparative advantages, and using our own networks as effectively as possible.

18. Let’s use the lessons learned from building the global AMR architecture.  

19. WHO took the initiative of launching a Global Action Plan on AMR.

20. Now let’s take the initiative of launching a Global Action Plan for One Health!

21. But we also need to look beyond the pandemic and continue supporting countries to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

22. FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative, which is country-owned and country-led is an ideal mechanism for this.

23. It prioritizes those at risk of being left behind, where extreme hunger and poverty are increasing.

24. This includes Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, Least Developed Land-Locked Countries, as well as those facing severe challenges in confronting the pandemic.

25. Hand-in-Hand works with government, international organization and non-state actors (civil society, private sector, industry, academia) – all key players needed for our One Health architecture.

 

Colleagues,

26. We need to deepen our collaboration and our responsibilities for One Health.

27. Let us intensify our engagement through collaboration at global, regional and country level, to better support our Members in preventing another pandemic and to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.

28. Let us make this Tripartite Executive Meeting a turning point with new dynamic.

29. FAO is committed to leading this process and we count on your full cooperation to strengthen our key players.

30. Let us walk the talk and present the true multilateral value of One Health to the world!

31. Our common goal is well defined: A tomorrow that is free of hunger and one health for all.

 Thank you.