HAND-IN-HAND INVESTMENT FORUM 2024 Hand-in-Hand Regional Initiative for the Caribbean Welcome Remarks

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I am always pleased to welcome you to this historic event as we are launching the first Regional Hand-in-Hand Initiative for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), specifically in the Caribbean region.

Supporting SIDS - and other vulnerable countries - has been a lifelong commitment for me and as FAO Director-General I have taken concrete steps to prioritize these countries in FAO’s strategic vision and actions,

I know your region well and for a very long time and understand your political desire to be more represented. So, let us work together to ensure this happens.

Including through the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, the supporting FAO thematic strategies on Climate Change, and on Science and Innovation, and of course in other related strategies, especially, for the SIDS.

Many years ago, about 30 years ago, when I was a scientist, I already focused on the issue of climate change in the SIDS, both in your region and in the Pacific region. So, my actions are based on long-term reflection, analysis, personal experience and knowledge.

FAO’s current work on nutrition, on Blue Transformation, and the FAO Global Roadmap for Achieving SDG2 without breaching the 1.5 C ° threshold are all connected and integrated. We should holistically address these issues together with Members.

Within six months of taking office, I established this Office, although small it was the first in the UN system, and now it has become one of the most important units. I think Ms Angelica Jacome Daza is one of the most famous Directors in the UN system because she advocates on behalf of the SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs.

You know, last year the LDC5 was held, this year saw the SIDS4 Conference, and in December there will be another LLDCs Summit. For all these international events, FAO is the only Specialized Agency within the UN family to provide technical support to the High Representatives for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, Ms Rabab Fatima, and she is very appreciative of FAO’s support.

After having established the Office for SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs, together with the Prime Minister of Barbados we established a Network.

Upon taking office as Director-General, I established the FAO Women’s Committee and FAO Youth Committee, now five years later I have established the Office of Youth and Women to institutionalize the focus on women and youth across FAO’s work. We are the first UN Agency to have such an Office, and it was no surprise for me to know that some agencies decided to follow us and create similar offices or divisions.

That is why I always say we should design bigger and do concrete.

Dear Colleagues,

I am a friend to your region, and I know your culture. Sometimes it takes time to reach consensus, but then it leads to action. It just takes a bit of time.

So, I invite you to please take this initiative seriously, and we will commit to it.

For example, if you want to solve the immigrants’ issue in the Dry Corridor, you need a consistent effort for 20 years. Because, based on my experience in China over 40 years, it takes at least 20 years to ensure that people no longer wish to emigrate because they are happy to stay inland where there are opportunities, decent jobs and a relatively stable improvement of livelihood.

I just had a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture from Samoa. Of course, in the SIDS there are many limitations. But what are the solutions? We need collective solutions. Individually, SIDS have limited leverage to bring about change, but as a group, or even a subgroup, they could ensure a level of soft power needed to lead the change.

That is the legacy I want to leave at FAO.

Thank you.