AFRICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE

African countries have committed to raise their ambitions and accelerate their actions towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including ending poverty and hunger, at the conclusion of the 32nd Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa, held 11 to 14 April in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.  

African countries have committed to raise their ambitions and accelerate their actions towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including ending poverty and hunger, at the conclusion of the 32nd Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa, held 11 to 14 April in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.  

Sixty-two Ministers from 54 African countries participated in the conference – country representation was one of the largest ever thanks to the hybrid mode, with more than half the ministers attending in person in Malabo, and the remainder joining online.   

“This regional conference was held at a particularly difficult time for Africa,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in his closing remarks, adding that the war in Ukraine is “destabilizing Africa’s food security, especially some vulnerable countries that depend on importing food.” 

Qu urged countries to adopt enabling policies, innovation and science, and proper investment for agrifood systems transformation in Africa.  

“As we heard throughout this regional conference the modernization of agriculture and rural transformation will reduce poverty, develop new decent jobs for the youth and women, boost the access to the nutritious and affordable foods, help to rebalance inequalities, including gender and build a resilient and sustainable livelihood,” Director-General said. 

In the ministerial declaration shared on Thursday (14 Apr), ministers welcomed the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 which shapes the organization’s work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals under Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.   

The Ministers also affirmed the centrality of women and young people in Africa’s transformation of agrifood systems, and called on FAO to accelerate concrete actions to tackle the impacts of the climate crisis – calling it a “major threat to the African region.”  

Close to 800 delegates participated in the four-day event, plus those following the discussions through the livestream. Participants included representatives from 34 inter-governmental organizations such as the African Union and ECOWAS, more than 30 civil society and academic organizations, and 28 private sector representatives.  

“We have a lot more work to do, and we must continue to work together, efficiently, effectively and coherently,” Qu said. “We can only success when we work together, in the spirit of Africa, solidarity and unity, to build together prosperous and the food-secure continent.” 

On the side-lines of the conference, Director-General visited a project site in Baney, where he participated in the inauguration of demonstration plots that will serve as field schools and to allow small farmers to experiment, innovate and test good production practices. The project is funded by the Government of Equatorial Guinea, while FAO provides technical assistance to strengthen the agricultural extension system of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forests and Environment. 

STORY: FAO / QU AFRICA CONFERENCE WRAP

TRT: 2:19

SOURCE: FAO

RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT FAO ON SCREEN

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS

DATELINE: 13-15 APRIL 2022, MALABO / BANEY, EQUATORIAL GUINEA

SHOTLIST:

13 APRIL 2022, MALABO, EQUATORIAL GUINEA

1.    Pan right, Qu is walking to phot op podium with African ministers

2.    Wide shot, photo op, principals removing masks

3.    Med shot, photo op, Qu and other principals

4.    Med shot, Qu fist-bumping and talking to an official

14 APRIL 2022, MALABO, EQUATORIAL GUINEA

5.    Wide shot, conference room

6.    Wide shot, delegates seated

7.    Med shot, FAO officials Deputy DG Samedo and Chief Economist Torero

8.    SOUNDBITE (English) Qu Dongyu, Director-General, FAO:

“This regional conference was held at a particularly difficult time for Africa with a war thousands of kilometres away from here in Ukraine, destabilizing Africa’s food security, especially some vulnerable countries that depend on importing food.”

9.    Pan left, delegates listening

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Qu Dongyu, Director-General, FAO:

“As we heard throughout this regional conference the modernization of agriculture and rural transformation will reduce poverty, develop new decent jobs for the youth and women, boost the access to the nutritious and affordable foods, help to rebalance inequalities, including gender and build a resilient and sustainable livelihoods.”

11. Screenshot, Qu and remote participants

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Qu Dongyu, Director-General, FAO:

“We have a lot more work to do and we must continue to work together efficiently, effectively and coherently. We can only success when we work together, in the spirit of Africa, solidarity and unity, to build together prosperous and the food-secure continent.”

15 APRIL 2022, BANEY, EQUATORIAL GUINEA

13. Tracking shot, Qu and delegation walking through a plot

14. Med shot, Qu and host talking

15. Med shot, Qu holding a plant