Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly delivered the appeal on behalf of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi at the opening of the 3rd Global Meeting of FAO Representatives in Egypt’s New Capital.
Madbouly expressed appreciation to FAO Director-General, Dr Qu Dongyu, for choosing Cairo as the venue, adding that Egypt’s decision to host the gathering reflects its commitment to bolstering FAO’s work on global food security and helping countries confront worsening humanitarian and economic pressures.
He pointed to Egypt’s long-standing cooperation with FAO—dating back to 1947 when Cairo became one of the first countries to host a FAO office—citing joint projects on irrigation, agricultural development, value-chain improvements, and early-warning systems.
Madbouly also underlined Egypt’s regional role, saying it shares technical expertise with Arab and African states and contributes to FAO priority-setting across the region.
He said food systems are under growing strain from climate change, supply-chain disruptions, and rising commodity prices, and stressed that regional cooperation would be essential to manage these pressures.
Referring to FAO’s “One FAO” framework, launched in 2023, Madbouly said the approach has helped unify regional offices and improve coordination with the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). He added that last year’s global meeting in Bangkok showed the value of reviewing performance and strengthening FAO country offices.
Madbouly said the Cairo meeting is expected to advance those efforts by improving programme quality and expanding partnerships to support sustainable food systems.
He noted that FAO’s 2025 slogan, “Hand in Hand for Better Food, Better Future,” aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and government plans to expand climate-smart agriculture, improve resource efficiency, and support rural communities.
Madbouly reiterated Egypt’s support for FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative, which targets the world’s most vulnerable regions with investment and productivity-boosting programmes.
Amid worsening humanitarian conditions, he said UN agencies, especially FAO, must step up support for countries facing acute food-supply disruptions, naming Gaza and Sudan among the most critical.
Madbouly concluded by reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to working with FAO to strengthen global food security and improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers. He expressed hope that the meeting would produce concrete recommendations for countries most at risk.
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