In talks today with Tandi Dorji, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu discussed ways in which the country can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals through the agriculture sectors. During their meeting on the sidelines of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dorji noted...

Food security and nutrition must be a priority in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which can count on FAO's support in taking "better coordinated and more coherent actions" towards that goal, Director-General Qu Dongyu said on Friday. Climate change, vulnerability, resilience, disaster risk reduction, isolation, insufficient land resources and dietary changes that...

During their meeting today Paraguay’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Rivas said his country fully supported FAO Director-General’s vision for the UN agency and expressed great interest in FAO’s new Hand-In-Hand Initiative. Rivas said that Paraguay aims to develop its agro-business sector including exploring initiatives that are aimed at creating employment...

FAO Director-General and Alejandro Ferrer Minister of Foreign Affairs for Panama met today in talks that focused on strengthening cooperation. During their meeting on the side-lines of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Ferrer outlined initiatives in his country based on local agricultural production to supply school-feeding schemes. This is...

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu today briefed the President of Namibia Hage Gottfried Geingob on FAO’s new Hand-In-Hand Initiative during a meeting on the side-lines of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly. Geingob noted how his country faces major challenges related to climate change like drought and flooding that impact...

In talks today FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and Cristiana Pașca Palmer, the Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, agreed that efforts to safeguard the planet’s biodiversity must be rooted in science. Pașca Palmer described FAO as an excellent partner and noted the agency’s contribution to shaping...

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their partnership towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The agreement renews a long-standing formal collaboration between the two UN agencies and was signed today in New York by...

Having Member States’ support and buy-in is paramount to FAO successfully rolling out new initiatives, such as the new Hand-in-Hand Initiative, to help accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals - especially ending poverty and hunger - and not leaving anyone behind. This was FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu’s message to the UN agency’s Member...

Technology magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates today emphasized his support for FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu by meeting him at FAO’s Liaison Office in New York. During their discussion, the FAO Director-General briefed Gates on his vision for FAO and the UN agency’s new Hand-In-Hand Initiative which prioritizes targeted work that benefits...

Transforming food and nutrition systems is central to achieving the 2030 Agenda, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said today at a Leaders' Dialogue on the Sustainable Development Goals as part of the 74th UN General Assembly. One of the most urgent areas for action in order to leave no one behind is to pursue targeted...

Food systems are huge economic, social and environmental drivers of transformational change, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyusaid  today. Turning them into accelerators of progress on the SDGs is essential to achieving several core objectives of the 2030 Agenda, including ending extreme poverty, addressing hunger an all forms of malnutrition, protecting and...

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and USAID Administrator Mark Green met today in talks that focused on cooperation between the two organizations. Green said he looked forward to working closely with Qu, and said that USAID wants to see a strong, vibrant and accountable FAO succeed in its mission. Qu said he fully...

The Kingdom of the Netherlands has contributed $28 million to back FAO's work to boost the resilience of food systems in Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan - part of a new initiative to scale-up resilience-based development work in countries affected by protracted crises. In such contexts, humanitarian interventions often focus on...

President Sebastián Piñera of Chile and FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu met today for talks that focused on the need for people to have access to a choice of nutritious food. During their meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly, President Piñera explained how Chile’s food labelling law, which entered...

President of Hungary János Áder has congratulated FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu for taking office, while noting the important issues FAO needs to help countries address, including the depletion of natural resources which is critical for the development of agriculture. Áder noted that his country, like many others, is losing both forests...

During a meeting today Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, and FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu discussed ways the agricultural sectors can be modernized to make more efficient use of natural resources while still remaining respectful of local traditions. In particular, Alois  expressed interest in FAO’s designation of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Qu explained...

During their meeting today, Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs told FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu that the UN has high expectations on FAO’s ability to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. He congratulated Qu for taking office at FAO and expressed confidence that the organization and its...

Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States in talks today with FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, welcomed the FAO’s new Hand-In-Hand Initiative. As Qu explained, the Initiative prioritizes targeted work that benefits people in the world’s most vulnerable regions including...

Agriculture has a crucial role in providing sustainable solutions to many of today's most urgent environmental issues, provided we change the way we farm, fish and herd livestock, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said today. Transforming the agricultural sectors requires "changing the way we think and changing the way we live ......

Tackling the challenges in the Sahel will require a "common, coordinated and coherent response" to provide people living in the desert region with viable livelihoods and establish resilient agrifood systems, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said today. He noted how since 2005, the Sahel region has been hit by repeated crises, each...