High-Level Rome Water Dialogue on the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) Closing Remarks

Excellences,  Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues, 

Congratulations on the adoption of the Rome Declaration on Water Scarcity in Agriculture!

That is the beauty of Rome. All roads lead to Rome, not to Cabo Verde – that is the challenge. But with my passion and my dedication, I prepared for five years, and travelled to Cabo Verde.

Unfortunately, transportation remains a challenge in many post-colonial countries and for this reason I encouraged my friend from Cabo Verde, the Prime Minister, and even the former Deputy Director-General Semedo, that it is important to focus on developing transportation if you want to invite Ministers from other countries to visit.

I went to Cabo Verde to convey my personal appreciation for the leadership and coordination for the WASAG process over the past eight years. Now, there are key players willing to contribute, like the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and next year Tajikistan will host the Global Forum on Water, and I am pleased that the President of Tajikistan has already extended an invitation to me to attend.

This further confirms that Rome Water Dialogue is a professional platform for all FAO Members and partners, and we appreciate the historical contribution of WASAG.

Today we have seen that you are ready to take the much-needed, collective action.

I thank the Members of the new Steering Committee of WASAG who will ensure the highest level of political will and leadership.

I thank our partners for your dedication and engagement to help drive this initiative to be more strategic, inclusive and a truly country-led partnership, like the Global Soil Partnership and the Mountain Partnership, to which FAO offers its support.

Before this event, I met with the International Nuts and Dried Fruit Council during which they confirmed their willingness to work with FAO. Nuts and dried fruit provide a good balance between the economy and the environment. Farmers that can grow resilient nut fruit are important contributors for the environment (water saving), for greening and for reforestation, and at the same time they can have a sustainable income. It is therefore important to get these key players on board to work together. 

I look forward to the continued contributions of WASAG through the Working Groups, the Task Forces and the new Technical Advisory Committee.

I assure you that FAO is fully committed to supporting WASAG for three key reasons.

So, first, WASAG is one of our eight commitments to the Global Water Action Agenda.

Second, it is one of the main initiatives through which FAO contributes to the UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation, that is SDG6. For this reason, FAO is providing a leading technical role through the Land and Water Division, while respecting the established mechanisms across the UN system.  

The third: WASAG is an inclusive part of platforms in the FAO Water Journey to co-design, co-implement the integrated water resources management solutions for food and water security.

Dear Colleagues,

I look forward to the 2025 Rome Water Dialogue.

I wish to thank Morocco for the support through the special fund, and I really appreciated the recognition you awarded to FAO.

You gave USD half million to FAO in contributions and I immediately got another USD half million so now the Director of the Land and Water Division is getting USD 1 million!

I look particularly forward to welcoming you again in 2025 to the Rome Water Dialogue because next year is also FAO’s 80th anniversary.

Over the past five years, I have focused on eliminating silos. We need to share our collective progress in tackling water management in agrifood systems and rural development.

For example, in the Netherlands’ rural areas there are many canals polluted by livestock. We were not allowed to touch the water when I was a student there thirty years ago! Now, thirty years later is still the challenge. The Netherlands is one of the most advanced countries in the world, especially in agriculture, yet the water pollution from livestock continues because the sector is too intensive.

It is a challenge not only for developed countries, but it is also a big burden for us to tackle together, to solve together.

In support of the 2030 Agenda through the transformation of global agrifood systems under overarch of the Four Betters.

Better Production starts with soil and water from animals, who not only produce high-yield productive milk. But what is left for the water?

My talk is a technical, not a political statement.

Thank you.