2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum - Panel Discussion on SDG 17 - “Three Voices, One Partnership Journey: Demonstrating the Power of Shared Solutions”

2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum - Panel Discussion on SDG 17 - "Three Voices, One Partnership Journey: Demonstrating the Power of Shared Solutions"

Máximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist

27/01/2026

Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

The theme of this meeting, Three Voices One Partnership Journey, captures a central truth of our time.

The challenges facing agrifood systems today are systemic. Water scarcity climate shocks conflict food price volatility and financing gaps are deeply interconnected. No single institution no matter how strong can address them alone.

What works are partnerships that are purposeful evidence based and action oriented. I would like to illustrate this with three concrete FAO led partnership models that show how shared solutions translate into real impact.

First Voice WASAG Partner Driven Action on Water Scarcity

Let me begin with the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture known as WASAG.

Launched by FAO in 2016 WASAG responds to one of the most binding constraints to food security today water scarcity. It threatens agricultural productivity ecosystems and livelihoods particularly in vulnerable and fragile regions.

WASAG is not a program in the traditional sense. It is an inclusive coordination and innovation platform. It brings together governments UN agencies international organizations research institutions civil society farmers organizations and the private sector to co develop solutions and support countries in managing water scarcity in agriculture.

Its work is organized through partner led working groups focusing on drought preparedness saline agriculture sustainable water use water and nutrition water and migration and financing mechanisms. These groups operate on a voluntary basis and generate concrete outputs policy briefs technical guidelines capacity development and tools that countries can actually use.

The impact is visible on the ground.

Cabo Verde and Uzbekistan are applying WASAG farmer guidelines on saline agriculture.

Zimbabwe is using the WASAG financing framework to guide agricultural water investments.

In Malawi through the AWSAMe initiative drought resilient crops such as sorghum and cowpea are being identified through field trials and gene bank profiling.

What makes WASAG distinctive is that it is genuinely partner driven. Partners lead working groups produce joint knowledge and support country action. The model is lean collaborative and focused on results. It shows that complex cross cutting challenges like water scarcity require coordinated action across sectors disciplines and institutions.

Second Voice Hand in Hand Data Driven Partnerships for Transformation

The second voice is the FAO Hand in Hand Initiative.

Hand in Hand was created to accelerate agrifood systems transformation where needs are greatest. Its core premise is simple but powerful impact must be targeted and partnerships must be built around evidence.

Using advanced geospatial analysis poverty mapping and agrifood systems diagnostics Hand in Hand identifies high potential territories where investment can deliver the greatest returns in terms of poverty reduction food security nutrition jobs and resilience.

But data is only the starting point. Hand in Hand is a country owned and partner enabled platform.

Governments define priorities.

FAO provides analytics convening power and technical support.

Development banks donors UN partners and the private sector align around a shared investment narrative.

This approach is already delivering stronger coordination better designed investment pipelines and greater focus on fragile conflict affected and climate vulnerable areas that are often left behind by traditional financing models.

Hand in Hand demonstrates that when partnerships are anchored in evidence and country ownership they can mobilize finance at scale and translate analysis into action.

Third Voice FSFC Financing Solidarity in Times of Shock

The third voice is the Financing for Shock Driven Food Crisis Facility or FSFC.

FSFC responds to a stark reality. Today food crises are increasingly driven by shocks conflict climate extremes and economic disruptions. These shocks hit fast and hard but financing often arrives too late or in fragmented ways.

FSFC was designed to close this gap.

It is a partnership platform that brings together FAO governments international financial institutions and donors to rapidly mobilize and channel financing to protect food security livelihoods and productive capacity when shocks occur.

The facility focuses on anticipation rapid response and recovery. It helps countries scale up timely interventions such as protecting agricultural livelihoods stabilizing food production systems and preventing temporary shocks from turning into long term food crises.

FSFC shows that financing is itself a form of coordination. When partners align around speed flexibility and shared objectives they can reduce human suffering protect development gains and strengthen resilience.

One Partnership Journey One Message

These three voices WASAG Hand in Hand and FSFC operate in different contexts but they tell a single story.

They show that partnerships work when they are inclusive country driven and results focused.
They show that FAO adds value by convening evidence aligning actors and connecting humanitarian development and policy responses.
And they show that shared solutions are not an aspiration they are a necessity.

In a world of rising uncertainty partnerships are no longer optional. They are the only credible pathway to scale impact manage risk and deliver food security for all.

Thank you.