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FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu re-elected for second term
Berlin/Rome, July 4, 2023 - During the 43rd Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on July 2, 2023, the current Director-General Qu Dongyu was re-elected for a second term of 4 years.
Out of 182 votes, he received 168. He was the only candidate.
Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, congratulated the Director General on his re-election.
Özdemir stressed that close cooperation is essential for the transformation of global agricultural and food systems toward greater sustainability and the implementation of the United Nations' Agenda 2030.
Feeding the world's growing population is being made much more difficult by crises such as the Corona pandemic, the climate and biodiversity crisis, and armed conflicts.
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which is contrary to international law, and its effects on grain production and markets in particular, are further exacerbating the situation.
This is why the FAO, with its mandate to safeguard the world's food supply, is so important.
For future FAO work on the transformation of agricultural and food systems, the following issues are of particular importance:
- Water management
- Soil conservation and management
- Protection of genetic resources
- A rights-based approach to implementing the human right to food as a guiding principle
Therefore, the BMEL welcomes the topic of the plenary debate of the 43rd FAO Conference: “Integrated Water Resources Management”.
Indeed, sustainable water management is a key element in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
Background information
Together with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is one of the three Rome-based agricultural and food institutions of the United Nations.
FAO's goal as a knowledge organization is
- to contribute to higher standards of living, better nutrition and the eradication of hunger and malnutrition worldwide,
- to improve efficiency in the production and distribution of agricultural products, and
- to create favorable living conditions for the rural population and thus promote economic development.
(Source: BMEL press release)