At the UN General Assembly in New York, the Director-General outlines FAO’s contributions to global challenges

New York - Director-General QU Dongyu attended the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and participated in a series of side events, outlining FAO's role in addressing global hunger and malnutrition.

At the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Least Developed Countries (LCDs), Qu noted that while global hunger declined slightly between 2015 and 2025, it increased in LDCs, rising from 19.4 percent to 20.9 percent of the population. The prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in LDCs is also more than double the global average.

This is why "FAO works to provide targeted, evidence-based and tailored solutions to our Members, particularly those most vulnerable," Qu said at Thursday's event.

In line with the Doha Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries, FAO supports countries through its Hand-in-Hand Initiative, in which nearly half of the 87 participating countries are LDCs; its Analytical Support Mechanism for Agrifood System Country Programming and Evidence (SCOPE), which contributes to UN country programming; and its One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative, with 30 of the 94 participating countries classified as LDCs.

On Tuesday, the Director-General addressed a Solutions Dialogue on Ocean Action and Leadership, highlighting the need for greater financing to scale up solutions.

Noting that this year's strong El Niño event will add further pressure through rising ocean temperatures and climate shocks, Qu said sustainable and resilient fisheries and aquaculture, together with the conservation and sustainable use of marine genetic resources, can provide the solutions.

"We have the solutions - and now we must scale them up with greater urgency," he said.

At Thursday's High-Level Side Event Our Children Cannot Wait: Leadership for Child Survival and Nutrition, the Director-General stressed that FAO's mandate is strongly tied to child survival.

This is why the Organization promotes agrifood systems that support smallholder farmers and rural communities, make healthy diets more affordable and adaptable, and protect the natural resources on which future generations depend.

FAO's role is to support countries with data and evidence, policy and technical assistance, targeted investment and financing, and stronger partnerships with relevant stakeholders, he said. One example is school feeding, which can improve children's diets while supporting local farmers.

At Friday's High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, Qu outlined the importance of FAO's One Health approach, which brings together human, animal, wildlife and environmental sectors to strengthen preparedness and response.

The Director-General also emphasized the role of prevention, including practical interventions such as animal vaccination, biosecurity measures, responsible land-use planning, safe value chain practices and improved animal health services. He stressed that preparedness must become a permanent national capability and be viewed as a whole-of-society and whole-of-government challenge.

Speaking at the High-Level Ministerial Majlis and Implementation Dialogue: From Water Stress to Implementation: Building country pathways for water-secure agriculture, Qu stressed the importance of water for agriculture in a world where 2.4 billion people live in water-stressed countries.

FAO, he said, supports countries through evidence-based decision-making, cross-sector planning and targeted investment.

Working with countries and financing partners, including the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, FAO helps align technical evidence, national priorities and financing, the Director-General said.

Speaking at the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the Rome Coalition for Fertilizer Access and Food Security on Thursday, the Director-General recalled that the conflict in the Middle East has triggered a compound crisis, severely disrupting fertilizer markets ahead of the next planting season. He said short-term responses include keeping markets open and supporting vulnerable households, while longer-term solutions include diversifying sources, investing in sustainable agriculture and strengthening market resilience.

On Friday, the Director-General addressed the High-level Dialogue on the 5th Anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), a platform that supports progress towards the 2030 Agenda through knowledge exchange, stronger collaboration and results-oriented action.

The Director-General reflected on progress since the Initiative's launch in 2021 and called for a shift from "dialogue to delivery, from initiative to impact, from potential to prosperity."

He said FAO stands ready to deepen its partnership with GDI stakeholders by bringing technical expertise, convening power and a proven track record in supporting agrifood systems transformation.

During his stay in New York, the Director-General also held a series of bilateral meetings, including with the President of the 81st Session of UNGA, Khalilur Rahman, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, LI Junhua, and Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London.

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