Rome:Angola has officially nominated Ambassador Josefa Sacko for the position of Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The announcement was made during a ceremony at the organization's headquarters in Rome, led by Angola's Foreign Affairs Minister, Téte António.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Minister António underscored Sacko's extensive experience in agriculture, rural development, food security, and sustainability as crucial for tackling the FAO's ongoing challenges. He emphasized the need for an FAO that can effectively translate knowledge into action to enhance agrifood systems, making them more productive, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
Among the key challenges highlighted by Minister António were climate change, food insecurity, rural poverty, and the modernization of agrifood systems. He stressed the importance of utilizing science, innovation, and technology to support small-scale producers and rural communities, while also promoting investment and improving access to finance and markets.
Minister António also pointed out Sacko's previous role as the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, which equipped her with a deep understanding of Africa's challenges and the operations of multilateral institutions. He advocated for greater cooperation between countries to enhance global food security and reiterated Angola's commitment to the FAO's principles of universality.
Highlighting Africa's agricultural potential, Minister António noted the continent's natural resources, arable land, biodiversity, and young population as key assets for transforming agrifood systems. He called for international collaboration to convert this potential into tangible benefits like production, employment, and development.
Regarding the FAO Director-General election process, Minister António stressed that the final decision lies with the Member States. He invited representatives to engage with Sacko's proposals, affirming Angola's readiness to collaborate with all Member States based on openness and mutual respect.
Josefa Sacko's candidacy, endorsed by the African Union, aims to make the FAO more responsive to member needs, strengthening food security as a foundation for development and peace. She will compete against other candidates, including Italian Maurizio Martina, Spanish Luis Planas, Irishman Phil Hogan, and Turkish Mehmet Mehdi Eker, for the position covering the 2027-2031 term.
