FAO bridges key strategic partners for greater and better impacts
FAO bridges key strategic partners for greater and better impacts
©FAO/Bounmee Maokhamphiou
12/08/2024
Assistant Director-General and Director of the Animal Production and Health Division (NSA)/Chief Veterinarian of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Mr Thanawat Tiensin, made courtesy visits to Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) to purposely tighten connection among key partners to ensure greater and better impacts on the development work for the people of Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Mr Thanawat Tiensin was ambitious to learn the priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Government of Lao People's Democratic Republic in general, to better serve the interests of Lao people on agricultural development. He expressed that “we, as FAO in Lao PDR, want to make sure that your priorities are our priorities”. Most importantly, Mr Thanawat invited HE Associate Prof Dr Linkham Duangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, to join the World Food Forum in Rome, Italy, 14-18 October 2024. The key objectives are to highlight the good practices implemented in Lao PDR, while observing great impacts and cases worldwide that are adaptable in the Lao context, including potential investment opportunities to be brought to the country
During the visit, His Excellency Associate Prof Dr Linkham Duangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, welcomed Mr Thanawat Tiensin and appreciated the long-standing support from FAO, both financially and technically, to the Government of Lao PDR, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in particular. HE Associate Prof Dr Linkham also noted that cattle production is one of the key strategic focuses of the Ministry, as for export and food security. He continued that to achieve greater benefits, the Ministry is now exploring how to improve the processing facilities to add more value to the meat products as frozen goods, while ensuring that cattle producers can produce high quality cattle for export and consumption. Apart from providing close guidance on the upcoming Food and Agriculture Trade Fair to be organized in Lao PDR before taking part World Food Forum in October, HE Associate Prof Dr Linkham also highlighted the initiative on “One Country/Province – One Product” undertaken by the Ministry to identify the top three agriculture products/crops for each province to promote as champion products for better focus, development, market investment and expansion, which is in line with the FAO initiative on “One Country – One Priority Product”.
The significance and collaboration on the One Health Quadripartite were raised during Dr. Thanawat’s visit to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is a collaborative, multisectoral and transdisciplinary approach, initiated by WHO, FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). Dr Timothy Armstrong, WHO Representative in Lao PDR, acknowledged good collaboration and support on various areas of work, especially zoonotic diseases such rabies, anthrax, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
During this visit to WHO, as development partner, Mr Thanawat also highlight the need to formalize the synergy within and across the organizations in the country (e.g., Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, WHO and FAO) for better use of resources and outcomes. One Health must include plant health and soil health, as whatever we use for humans and animals ultimately affects the soil, water, and environment. This is a common area of interest. The One Health Knowledge and Intelligence Hub will be launched by FAO in 2025 to highlight how the One Health instrument does work on the ground in the country.
During the two-day courtesy visit, Mr Thanawat also met Mr Michael McCord, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Country Representative to Lao PDR, to thanks for their generous financial contribution made to FAO in Lao PDR to exercise their expertise for greater impacts for the people of Lao PDR and beyond. Through the support from USAID, FAO in Lao PDR, particularly the Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), could achieve good results in the areas of highly pathogenic avian influenza and zoonotic disease and health threats, including AMR.
Mr Thanawat Tiensin was ambitious to learn the priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Government of Lao People's Democratic Republic in general, to better serve the interests of Lao people on agricultural development. He expressed that “we, as FAO in Lao PDR, want to make sure that your priorities are our priorities”. Most importantly, Mr Thanawat invited HE Associate Prof Dr Linkham Duangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, to join the World Food Forum in Rome, Italy, 14-18 October 2024. The key objectives are to highlight the good practices implemented in Lao PDR, while observing great impacts and cases worldwide that are adaptable in the Lao context, including potential investment opportunities to be brought to the country
During the visit, His Excellency Associate Prof Dr Linkham Duangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, welcomed Mr Thanawat Tiensin and appreciated the long-standing support from FAO, both financially and technically, to the Government of Lao PDR, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in particular. HE Associate Prof Dr Linkham also noted that cattle production is one of the key strategic focuses of the Ministry, as for export and food security. He continued that to achieve greater benefits, the Ministry is now exploring how to improve the processing facilities to add more value to the meat products as frozen goods, while ensuring that cattle producers can produce high quality cattle for export and consumption. Apart from providing close guidance on the upcoming Food and Agriculture Trade Fair to be organized in Lao PDR before taking part World Food Forum in October, HE Associate Prof Dr Linkham also highlighted the initiative on “One Country/Province – One Product” undertaken by the Ministry to identify the top three agriculture products/crops for each province to promote as champion products for better focus, development, market investment and expansion, which is in line with the FAO initiative on “One Country – One Priority Product”.
The significance and collaboration on the One Health Quadripartite were raised during Dr. Thanawat’s visit to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is a collaborative, multisectoral and transdisciplinary approach, initiated by WHO, FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). Dr Timothy Armstrong, WHO Representative in Lao PDR, acknowledged good collaboration and support on various areas of work, especially zoonotic diseases such rabies, anthrax, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
During this visit to WHO, as development partner, Mr Thanawat also highlight the need to formalize the synergy within and across the organizations in the country (e.g., Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, WHO and FAO) for better use of resources and outcomes. One Health must include plant health and soil health, as whatever we use for humans and animals ultimately affects the soil, water, and environment. This is a common area of interest. The One Health Knowledge and Intelligence Hub will be launched by FAO in 2025 to highlight how the One Health instrument does work on the ground in the country.
During the two-day courtesy visit, Mr Thanawat also met Mr Michael McCord, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Country Representative to Lao PDR, to thanks for their generous financial contribution made to FAO in Lao PDR to exercise their expertise for greater impacts for the people of Lao PDR and beyond. Through the support from USAID, FAO in Lao PDR, particularly the Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), could achieve good results in the areas of highly pathogenic avian influenza and zoonotic disease and health threats, including AMR.
Contact
Bounmee Maokhamphiou, FAO Lao PDR Outreach Specialist, [email protected]Vilaylack Khounvisith, FAO Lao PDR National Communications Consultant, [email protected]