FAO NEWS RELEASE - www.fao.org

39th FAO Conference: 6-13 June

Presidents of Italy, Chile to speak at opening – DG elections - Awards to countries for progress in hunger fight

FAO's 197 Members<http://www.fao.org/about/who-we-are/en/> will meet from 6 - 13 June for the 39th biennial FAO Conference, the highest governing body of the Organization.



Over 130 ministers and 12 heads of state or government are expected to attend.



Participants will discuss trends in global hunger reduction and the current state of food and agriculture.<http://www.fao.org/3/a-mn422e.pdf>



The Conference will also elect the FAO Director-General for a four-year term and set the Organization's budget for the 2016-17 biennium at this session.



All events listed here will be webcast<http://bit.ly/1rNcxCt> live.



Please note that pre-conference registration is required for all members of the media. Find detailed information on accreditation below.

Useful Links

FAO Conference page<http://bit.ly/1GtfenE>

Provisional agenda<http://bit.ly/1Hy7UZw>

Provisional timetable<http://bit.ly/1c8m1Xe>

Side events<http://bit.ly/1JEZuyW>

Webcast<http://bit.ly/1rNcxCt>

MDG award ceremony<http://bit.ly/T0InR2>



Twitter accounts to follow

@FAOknowledge<https://twitter.com/faoknowledge>

@FAOnews<https://twitter.com/faonews>



Hashtag

#UNFAO39





Key events



Saturday, 6 June

Opening of conference

When: Saturday, 6 June 2015, morning session starting 09.30 | Where: Plenary Hall



Sergio Mattarella, president of Italy will give the Conference opening address. Michele Bachelet, president of Chile, will also speak at the start of the event.


Lecture by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil
When: Saturday, 6 June 2015, morning session starting 09.30 | Where: Plenary Hall

Former Brazilian president Inácio Lula da Silva will give the McDougall memorial lecture<http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/conference/mcdougall/en/> during the morning session, addressing food and nutrition security issues.



High-level panel on FAO's work with Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

When: Saturday, June 6, 2015, 11:30 -13:00 (Immediately following morning session) | Where: FAO Sheikh Zayed Centre



Participants (TBC) will include: Domingos Simões Pereira, Prime Minister of Guinea Bissau; Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime-Minister of Fiji; Ralph Gonzalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines; Patrick I. Gomes, Secretary General of The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP).

Social media: #UNFAOresults #SIDS



Election of the Director-General
When: Saturday, 6 June 2015, afternoon session, starting 14.30 | Where: Plenary Hall

The Conference will elect the FAO Director-General for the period July 2015 to July 2019. Voting will take place in a secret ballot by the organization's member countries. Each country has one vote.

Sunday, 7 June



Award Ceremony: Completing the MDG round – recognizing achievements in the fight against hunger

When: Sunday, June 7, 2015, 15:00 - 18:00 | Where: Plenary Hall



15 countries -- Angola, Bolivia, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mali, Myanmar, Mozambique,  Nepal, Oman, Solomon Island, Suriname, and Uzbekistan – will be recognized for achieving Millennium Development Goal 1c to halve the rate of hunger or the stricter World Food Summit (WFS) target of halving the number of hungry people. Overall, 72 out of 129 countries monitored have made the MDG1c target and 29 have made the WFS target. The presidents of the Gambia, Togo, Mali, Sao Tome and Principe; the prime ministers of Barbados, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Tunisia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines; and the Vice Premier of China are expected to attend this event (TBC).

Social media: #MDGProgress


Monday, 8 June



Director-General’s Policy Statement

When: Monday, June 8, 2015, 9.30 | Where: Plenary Hall



FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva will address the conference the Organization's work and results over the previous four years, global food security trends, and including hunger eradication as one of the new Sustainable Development Goals.



Speech by President Cristina Kirchner of Argentina

When: Monday, 8 June 2015, morning session starting 09.30 | Where: Plenary Hall



The Argentine President will address the Conference during the morning session.



Side event: Zero Hunger

When: Monday, June 8, 2015, 12.30-13.30 | Where: Green Room



Ministers from the Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean regions will discuss successes and challenges in the fight to end hunger through FAO’s regional initiatives to eliminate hunger. Opening address by FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva. Social media: #UNFAOresults #ZeroHunger



Side event: Agrifood Trade and Regional Integration in Europe and Central Asia

When: Monday, June 8, 2015, 13.30-14.30 | Where: FAO Sheikh Zayed Centre



Representatives from Moldova, Russia, Estonia and FAO will discuss successes in strengthening national and regional capacities in Europe and Central Asia to overcome challenges posed by greater trade integration. Social media: #UNFAOresults #AgriFood



Tuesday, 9 June



Side event: Building Resilience in Africa’s Drylands

When: Tuesday, June 9, 2015, 12.30-13.30 | Where: FAO Sheikh Zayed Centre



Representatives from Chad, Kenya, Zimbabwe and the Interstates Committee for Drought Control on the Sahel discuss regional efforts and successes in strengthening the resilience of vulnerable people in drylands to threats and crises. Social media: #UNFAOresults #Resilience



Side event: Near East and North Africa’s Water Scarcity Initiative

When: Tuesday, June 9, 2015, 13.30-14.30 | Where: FAO Sheikh Zayed Centre



Representatives from Egypt, the League of Arab States and FAO will discuss successes from the regional initiative to improve the sustainable use and management of water. Social media: #UNFAOresults #WaterScarcity



Side event: Family Farming and Rural Territorial Development in Latin America and Caribbean

When: Wednesday, June 10, 2015, 13.30-14.30 | Where: FAO Sheikh Zayed Centre



Representatives from Argentina, Guatemala and Saint Vincent and Grenadines discuss regional efforts to reduce poverty and food insecurity by promoting rural development processes where family farming plays a central role. Social media: #UNFAOresults #FamilyFarming



Side event: Asia and the Pacific Regional Rice Initiative

When: Thursday, June 11, 2015, 13.00-14.00 | Where: FAO Sheikh Zayed Centre



Representatives from Laos and the Philippines talk about regional efforts to make rice farming more productive, sustainable and efficient in resource use. Social media: #UNFAOresults #Rice



For a full list of side events during the week of 8 June, click here<http://bit.ly/1JEZuyW>





______________________________________________________



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