08 October 2021 – Effective, shared decision-making and problem solving is essential for team success. This is why the South-South and Triangular cooperation division (PST), along with its Regional South-South and Triangular Cooperation staff from Africa (RAF), Asia and the Pacific (RAP) and the Near East (RNE), met this week to share their daily work findings, and to come up with innovative solutions.

In his opening remarks, Mr Anping Ye, Director, PST, noted that PST’s South-South and Triangular Cooperation daily work and programmes can greatly benefit from the two-way exchange of knowledge, ideas and information flow between headquarters and regional SSTC colleagues. He encouraged colleagues to increment internal communication.

Presentations were made initially by PST HQ colleagues on a series of high-level events, which had taken place throughout the summer. 

The outcomes of the SIDS Solution Forum SSTC side event (30/08/2021) and of the Rome Based Agencies (RBAs) celebrations of the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation were highlighted. 

The UNSSC Day event, held on 17 September, attracted more than 200 attendees. It provided an opportunity for lively discussions on the value added of SSTC within the agri-food systems agenda and on the role of RBAs in supporting the transformational pathways in the Global South. The interactive dialogue saw the participation of OACPS, SFSI Ireland, and the Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries of Morocco and the China Mission in Rome.

During the same month, three additional SSTC events were organized, namely: (i) the SSTC High-Level Roundtable Meeting for Sustainable Aquaculture Development, jointly organized by FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China (24/09/2021); (ii) the SSTC side event at the Egypt International Cooperation Forum (09/09/2021); and (iii) the International Policy Workshop on Sustainable Food Systems Approach and Rice Policy Development, funded by the Republic of Korea (30/09/2021). 

Mr Ye reiterated that the support received throughout the summer months from both the regional officers and HQ colleagues was fundamental to the success of all of these SSTC events and activities. 

In addition to the high-level seminars, PST also confirmed the commitment of Singapore and Indonesia, who have each recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FAO on a series of important SSTC activities.

The regional officers’ inputs highlighted key SSTC activities happening on the ground. 

Regional officers also agreed that these inclusive events and meetings are very important not only for listening and sharing information on their daily work, but also for brainstorming potential and new initiatives, synergies and joint activities.

There is power in numbers, and high-performing teams are more than the sum of their parts. All colleagues, at HQ and in the regions, expressed their willingness to collaborate during the upcoming months.