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Bangladesh has taken over the Rome Chapter of the Group of 77 and China from Iran. The G77 & China represents the interests of 134 developing countries within United Nations. The Chairpersons has elected every year based on Regional Rotation. The 2016 is the year when FAO is facing many challenges in MDGs and with the adoption of the SDGs
The Rome Chapter of the G77 & China held in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, its first Plenary meeting of the year 2016 in the occasion of the Handover Ceremony of Chairmanship on 18 January 2016. The meeting was attended by Member States of the G77 & China accredited to the three Rome-based United Nations Agencies, Representative Members of WFP and IFAD, the Permanent Mission of Italy to UN and others Non G77 & China Member States.
In 2015, G77 member countries have actively participated in different Committees, Council meetings and in Conferences, presenting also comprehensive technical oriented, joint statements with a number of key recommendations in Council and Conference to FAO, UNIDO and WFP in line of sustainable agriculture development and food security
The Ceremony was opened on the Agenda items with a discussion Panel which brought together members to share experiences on South South Cooperation and proceeded further with the keynote speech on behalf of Mr. Jose Graziano Da Silva - FAO Director General, made by Mr. Daniel Gustafson, Deputy Director – General Operation – FAO. He congratulated the outgoing Chairperson and welcomed the incoming Chairperson. A special thank was addressed also to the group for the strong advocate work of the Rome Chapter over the past years within the entire global Agenda, for keeping focused in Food Security and agriculture development, for making a good interaction with FAO and for introducing a technical agenda, very much in line with the role of the strategic objectives and framework.
On his outgoing speech, the Chairperson of the G77 & China – Rome Chapter 2015, H. E. Majid Dehghan Shoar, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to FAO has expressed delight for the spirit of unity and solidarity prevailed during his Chairmanship which brought to the historical endorsement of the DG Budget in occasion of the Conference in June 2015 and to the election of the Chair of CFS of Sudan in October 2015. He thanked all Members for providing full support and participation in many G77 issues, which allowed also arranging fruitful technical presentations held during the nine Plenary Meetings in 2015, prioritizing the main perspectives in the South-South Cooperation, Codex Alimentarius, International Treaty of Plant genetic Resources, Discussion panel on the Technical Capacity of FAO and UNIDO. In addition, a Seminar on Food Losses and Waste (FLW) co-organized with Italy and with the participation of UNIBO and UNIDO to enhance food security and nutrition, reiterating the serious efforts required by FAO and UNIDO to achieve reduction in losses of agriculture products during harvest and post-harvest practices.
Dr. Md. Mafizur Rahman, Economic Counsellor, Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to FAO – incoming Chairperson of Group of 77 and China – Rome Chapter 2016 has remarked the progress towards the MDG1 target made by 2015, but between 795 million of people who suffer from hunger, forty-four countries have a serious level of hunger, while eight an alarming level still. Our major interest in developing countries is to eradicate hunger. A level of hunger has fallen by 27% in the past 15 years, but halved in 17 countries. Exists the need to face all but find also a unique solution. Many component could bring to solutions, like produce more food, increase purchasing activities, invest more in agriculture, mitigate the challenge of the climate change, but each one, should be considered a driver for the efforts to gain, in order to go long away from the present situation with no time to be delayed, because a next generation will not excuse us if we have failed responding fairly, he said.
Further, he exposed the main three strategic objectives to be reached during his mandate for the year 2016, which comprises the effective participation by the G77 members in FAO governance, increase the FAO’s Technical Capacity and strengthening the South-South Cooperation.
Afterwards, on behalf of their Members, the Chairs of the Regional Groups expressed their appreciation to H.E. Majid Dehghan Shoar for the inclusive Technical support given to the Group. Therefore, they welcomed the incoming Chairperson, Dr. Md Mafizur Rahman, expressing their full support and looking forward to work together to achieve the expecting results.