Rome:Angola has formally put forward Ambassador Josefa Sacko as a candidate for the Director-General position at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The announcement was made during a ceremony in Rome, led by Angola's Foreign Affairs Minister, Téte António.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Minister António emphasized Sacko's extensive experience in agriculture, rural development, food security, and sustainability as crucial for addressing the FAO's current challenges. He underscored the necessity for the FAO to enhance its capacity to implement knowledge into tangible actions that promote productive, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems.
Minister António identified climate change, food insecurity, rural poverty, and the need for modernization as key challenges for the FAO. He highlighted Sacko's tenure as the African Union Commissioner as providing her with valuable insights into these issues and the operations of multilateral organizations.
The minister called for an FAO that leverages science and innovation to support small-scale producers and rural communities. He also emphasized the importance of international cooperation to meet the needs of member states and promote global food security.
While the African Union supports Sacko's candidacy, António stressed that her campaign is open to the entire international community, advocating for dialogue across regions in line with the FAO's universal principles. He also noted Africa's abundant natural resources and young population as pivotal to transforming agrifood systems into sources of production, employment, and development.
Regarding the election for the FAO Director-General, António reiterated Angola's respect for the organization's selection process, encouraging representatives to engage with Sacko's vision for the FAO's future.
Josefa Sacko's candidacy, endorsed by the African Union, seeks to make the FAO more responsive to its members' needs and to strengthen food security as a foundation for development and peace. She will compete against other candidates, including Italian Maurizio Martina, Spanish Luis Planas, Irish Phil Hogan, and Turkish Mehmet Mehdi Eker, for the 2027-2031 term.
