Luanda: Angolan diplomat Josefa Sacko has officially presented her candidacy for the position of Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the 2027-2031 term. The announcement was made in Rome during a diplomatic gathering held on the occasion of African Women's Day. Sacko, who serves as Angola's ambassador to Italy and permanent representative to Rome-based UN agencies, enters the race with the endorsement of the African Union under the campaign motto "FAO for a New Era."
According to Angola Press News Agency, the activity marked the beginning of the international diplomatic mobilization in support of the Angolan diplomat's candidacy, already approved by the African Union. The election for the position of director-general of FAO will take place in July 2027 in Rome, Italy.
In her speech, Josefa Sacko, also Angola's permanent representative to the United Nations agencies in Rome, FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and World Food Program (WFP), said her candidacy is "the natural continuation of more than three decades dedicated to agriculture, rural development, international cooperation, and service to the continent." The diplomat highlighted that, in its 81 years of existence, the FAO has never been led by a woman.
"Perhaps the time has come to demonstrate to the world that Africa possesses the experience, competence, and strategic vision necessary to inaugurate a new era of global governance," she stated. Held under the motto "FAO for a New Era," Josefa Sacko presented a vision based on closer ties with member states, transforming knowledge into action, and creating sustainable agri-food systems capable of improving the living conditions of farmers, fishermen, herders, and rural communities.
The candidate also advocated for greater attention to women and young people as agents of transformation, considering that investment in these groups contributes to food security, education, health, peace, and sustainable development. Josefa Sacko said her campaign will be conducted with respect, competence, and diplomacy, with the objective of bringing regions closer together and gaining support based on the quality of the proposals and the African experience.
"When an African woman wins, she never wins alone - she takes other women with her, she takes her country with her, and she takes Africa with her," she remarked. Among the candidates already announced are Maurizio Martina, from Italy, current Deputy Director-General of the FAO, Luis Planas, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain, and Phil Hogan, from Ireland, former European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development and for Trade.
Josefa Sacko is an agricultural engineer, holding a degree in Agricultural Sciences from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, and has advanced training in Management, International Trade, Project Management, and International Relations. With over two decades of experience in African and international organizations, she was Secretary-General of the Inter-African Coffee Organization (2000-2013) and Commissioner of the African Union for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (2017-2024), where she led initiatives for the transformation of food systems, food security, rural development, and adaptation to climate change.
Angolan diplomat Josefa Sacko has been serving as part of the United Nations Champions 12.3 initiative since 2018, a coalition committed to driving progress toward global targets on food loss and waste reduction. In recognition of her broader achievements in international diplomacy and agricultural policy, the diplomat was named among the 100 Most Influential African Women by New African magazine in 2019.
Since March 2025, she has served as Angola's ambassador to Italy and permanent representative to FAO, IFAD, and WFP. Her solid technical, diplomatic, and multilateral experience reinforces her ability to lead the FAO in the 2027-2031 mandate.
The diplomat recalled the creation of the Pan-African Women's Organization in 1962 as a milestone in the struggle for women's participation in the political, economic, and social life of Africa. Josefa Sacko highlighted the contribution of African women such as Njinga Mbande from Angola, Yaa Asantewaa from Ghana, Wangari Maathai from Kenya, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from Liberia, Gra§a Machel from Mozambique, and Catherine Samba-Panza from the Central African Republic.
She added that the role of women also extends to farmers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and diplomats who contribute daily to the development of African countries.
