FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme 10th Annual Consultation Meeting


22/09/2022 - 

Rome / Beijing - 22 September 2022 – FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) of the People’s Republic of China reaffirmed their commitment to agrifood system transformations and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) during the 10th Annual Consultation Meeting (ACM) of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme held virtually on 22 September 2022.

This is the second time that the ACM was organized virtually, due to the ongoing travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Anping YE, Director of the FAO South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division, noted the significant progress of the Programme despite the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic, and expressed his appreciation to the government of China for the long-standing engagement and support, including to Phase III of the Programme that was launched early 2022. He remarked that Phase III will "provide impetus" to FAO's work on South-South and triangular cooperation.

Mr. Ni Hongxing, Counsel of the Department of International Cooperation of MARA, expressed China’s commitment to South-South and triangular cooperation, and appreciated the fruitful collaboration with FAO through the FAO-China SSC Programme over the past two decades. He emphasized that Phase III of the Programme will continue to focus on enhancing the capacity of developing countries in the areas of food and agriculture in a more inclusive manner, through innovative approaches, as well as further strengthening collaboration and partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders including traditional donors and private sector entities.  

The 10th ACM for the FAO-China SSC Programme reviewed the progress and achievement of the Programme during the period 2021-22. The participants acknowledged the positive impact of the Programme during the reporting period, including its contribution to the implementation of FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-31, the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Implementation Plan 2022-25, as well as corporate priority Programmes and initiatives.

The participants particularly noted the contribution of the Programme to global capacity-building, mobilization of more resources, deepening of collaboration and partnerships with Southern countries and their institutions, global response to agricultural emergencies, and increased visibility of South-South and triangular cooperation across the Organization.

Recognizing the important role that South-South and triangular cooperation plays in science, technology and innovation related to agriculture, participants underscored that particular focus should be given to these areas in future projects under Phase III of the Programme. 

Mr. Carlos Watson, FAO Representative in China, highlighted some concrete activities undertaken by the FAO-China Office in support of the FAO-China South-South cooperation Programme and, underscored the central role that South-South and triangular cooperation and the Programme will play in the implementation of the Country Programme Framework (CPF) 2021-25 of China. 

The ACM also discussed new project requests and the work plan for 2022-2023.