Rome, June 24, 2019 Mr. Chairman, Director General Graziano da Silva, distinguished colleagues and guests, thank you for the opportunity to address you all today. It is an honor and a pleasure to join fellow Member states to find solutions to end hunger. And, the United States thanks Director General Graziano da Silva for his …
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We are in the early years of the digital revolution as it relates to farming, and we are seeing the convergence of biotechnology and digital sciences transform our ability to measure, monitor and control our farms.
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The role of the United Nations and its partners is indispensable in reaching the most vulnerable people. We rely on organizations like WFP within the United Nations (UN)family to help mitigate the worst impacts of crises and keep beneficiary needs at the center of all humanitarian interventions.
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One of the challenges of farming is making your farm sustainable: making the right choices so the farm can grow, remain profitable, preserve its natural resources, so it can survive for generations.
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Dr. Christopher Barrett, Stephen B. and Janice G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, delivered the 15th Annual McGovern Lecture at FAO on Science and Solidarity: Innovations to Meet Global Food Security Challenges. April 4th, 2019 “Food security may be the defining global challenge of the century.” This was Dr. …
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RECOGNIZING THE REGIONAL HUMANITARIAN CRISIS: Former President Nicolas Maduro’s systematic economic mismanagement, corruption, and violent oppression have caused severe shortages of food and medicine and needless human suffering, resulting in an exodus of millions of Venezuelans to neighboring countries.
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USUN Rome is supporting the international Model UN taking place at the World Food Program organized by non-profit Global Action Italy.
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The United States has a new way to bring more U.S. private-sector investment to developing countries around the world. The Trump administration calls the approach “a new era in U.S. development finance.” Spearheading the effort: a new agency called the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). It will have access to $60 billion in financial capital …
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Today, Secretary of State Pompeo announced that the United States is ready to provide more than $20 million in initial humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela as they struggle to cope with severe food and medicine shortages and the other dire impacts of their country’s political and economic crisis caused by the illegitimate Maduro …
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Executive Director Beasley, thank you for your tireless efforts in places such as Yemen recently where you were able to raise awareness, highlighting the plight of the vulnerable and WFP’s leading role in accessing conflict zones in some of the most geopolitically and logistically challenging parts of the globe.
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“As a government entity, at USDA we don’t pick and choose what’s good – what’s bad,” said Chou. “We just tell you what’s useful. In the U.S. we always say we have a big umbrella: we have organic agriculture, we have conventional agriculture, we have biotech agriculture. They all coexist with each other. It is …
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A new variety of cotton plant that produces an abundance of edible seeds has just gotten approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for commercial farming. A team of researchers at Texas A&M University found a way to remove an element that made cottonseed toxic. If farmers wind up planting the seed widely, it could …
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On United Nations Day, we recognize the many ways the United Nations has contributed to peace and security among nations. Since it was founded more than 70 years ago with the aim of breaking the cycle of global conflict, the United Nations has provided a forum for nations to resolve conflicts peacefully in an increasingly complex world.
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This week marks the formal opening of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, with High-Level week beginning on September 24. The United States will be actively engaged across a wide spectrum of UNGA events and activities, and will frame that engagement around five broad policy priorities: non-proliferation; humanitarian assistance and food security; …
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The emergence and rapid spread of the Fall Armyworm in Africa (FAW) threatens the food and income security of millions of smallholder farmers. That’s why USUN Rome supported University of Maryland Professor Emeritus and Integrated Pest Management Consultant, Dr. Galen P. Dively’s travel to Africa, where he observed the situation and met with farmers, academics, …
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Remarks by Chargé d’Affaires Thomas Duffy at the Opening of the World Food Program Executive Board June 18, 2018 (As prepared for delivery) We would like to welcome the President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, and Princess Haya Al Hussain, the United Nations Messenger of Peace, to this meeting and to Rome. We thank you for …
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Today, the U.S. government announced nearly $67 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at the DRC Humanitarian Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland. With the assistance announced today, the United States is providing food, protection, shelter, health care, and other urgent aid for vulnerable Congolese and …
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The 2018 Global Report on Food Crises presents evidence that speaks to some of our deepest concerns: the number of food insecure people is rising rapidly — up 11 percent from 2017 – and new or intensified conflicts have played a major role in that increase. The number of people experiencing food insecurity is on the …
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A United States-FAO partnership working to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to manage outbreaks of diseases in farm animals has in just 12 months succeeded in training over 4,700 veterinary health professionals in 25 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The FAO-provided technical trainings covered a gamut of key competencies, including disease …
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At the recent First Regular Session of the Executive Board of the World Food Program (WFP), held February 27 to March 1, the United States, represented by Chargé d’Affaires Thomas Duffy, was elected to the 2018-2019 Executive Board Bureau.
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Mr. President, congratulations to you on your new appointment, and thank you to the outgoing Board President. Thank you also to Mark Lowcock for his insightful observations. We encourage WFP to take further action to implement its humanitarian reform commitments related to the Grand Bargain. The United States is especially interested in efforts to advance …
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Food, medicine and other relief supplies will be reaching people in need in Yemen more quickly, with the help of U.S.-funded cranes at the Hudaydah port on the Red Sea.
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John Robbins is an expert on heritage conservation and brings decades of experience in public service and private practice. Mr. Robbins also brings expertise in in institutional management, research and the repatriation of archaeological materials. Mr. Robbins established the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training in 1994 to create, improve, and disseminate technologies for …
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We have entered a period of food insecurity not seen since the founding of the United Nations at the end of the Second World War, with 80 million people across the globe now living in highly food insecure environments. Twenty million are in fact so severely food insecure that many of them are in danger …
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By Heather Eaton. Getting out of Rome and into the field to see international humanitarian projects in action is an essential part of representing the United States at the United Nations food and agricultural agencies in Rome. Visiting the operating grounds of these projects and meeting beneficiaries allows us to see firsthand how U.S. contributions to …
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American farmers are selling more of their crops to the rest of the world than ever before in the history of U.S. agriculture. “Today, America’s farmers feed not only our nation, but millions of people around the world,” President Trump said earlier this year as he signed an executive order aimed at promoting American agriculture and lowering …
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USUN Chargé d’Affaires Thomas M. Duffy joined the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Director-General José Graziano da Silva, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s President Gilbert F. Houngbo and the World Food Programme (WFP)’s Executive Director David Beasley) when they made a joint visit to Ethiopia from September 1-4 . The heads of the …
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Nutrition and entrepreneurship training helps families stay healthy and build businesses “The cash we receive has helped me a lot. When I receive the money, I buy food and sugar for the family, and it has supplemented my modest income from plaiting women’s hair.” July 2017—For one week each month, Clementina Peter Loku, a 56-year-old …
Read More» Today, the United States announced more than $119 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Iraq. The United States Government has now provided more than $1.4 billion in humanitarian assistance for the Iraq crisis since fiscal year 2014.
Read More» Today, the United States announced nearly $639 million in additional humanitarian assistance to the millions of people affected by food insecurity and violence in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen. This additional funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance to over $1.8 billion for these four crises since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2017.
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IMAGINE if every single person in Florida, the 3rd largest state in the United States, teetered on the brink of famine. That’s what’s happening in four countries — South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen — where more than 20 million people are at risk of starvation. Conflict is driving the crises in these four countries. This violence, in addition to drought in Somalia, …
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The world must bridge the gap between humanitarian and development assistance, while also sustaining our long-term efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. The Rome-based agencies are critical to filling this gap. The United States remains firmly committed to combatting poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, improving agricultural productivity, expanding opportunities for rural economic growth, and bettering …
Read More» The United States will continue to lead in bringing together resources to help overcome this crisis…The longer we wait to act, the higher the cost. Humanitarian relief organizations, partnered with the UN, continue using every avenue to get aid to those in need. When roads are closed, they charter airplanes to drop food from the …
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The Executive Director inherits this challenging role at a time that will require much not just of him but of all of us. Throughout its 50+ years, WFP has been among the best examples of what can be accomplished with sustained, collective action. And yet, food insecurity is perhaps a more pressing, more broadly rooted …
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For vulnerable and conflict-affected populations residing in South Sudan’s Mayendit County, one of the famine-affected counties in Unity State, access to safe drinking water often requires long, arduous hours of walking to the nearest borehole. Due to insecurity and the amount of time required to reach clean water, many individuals in Mayendit frequently resort to …
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A group of students from Iowa State University’s Dean’s Global Agricultural and Food Leadership Program visited the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome in May to learn about the role the United States plays in the international effort to address global food security. Chargé d’Affaires Thomas Duffy discussed the importance of challenging assumptions …
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Five reporters traveled to Indonesia with USUN Rome Public Affairs Officer Heather Eaton on May 14 for a six-day media tour to see firsthand how the United States works with the Rome-based UN agencies to promote food security, health and economic opportunity. The journalists – hailing from Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia – took a …
Read More» UNITED STATES MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN NEW YORK Office of the Press and Public Diplomacy FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 4, 2017 Statement From Ambassador Nikki Haley on the Release of World Food Program Aid Worker Peter Alex From South Sudan We are relieved to learn that Peter Alex, a World Food Program aid …
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USUN Political/Economic Officer Daleya Uddin recently joined other representatives from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s member countries on visits to observe the particular food security and agriculture challenges in Morocco and Sudan. Her video report below provides a glimpse into those challenges, as well as the innovative FAO projects making a …
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Today the United States announced nearly $94 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help the people of Yemen, who have suffered through two years of civil war and are experiencing the largest food security emergency in the world. This additional funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian contribution to nearly $526 million since the 2016 fiscal …
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Today is World Heritage Day, when we pause to consider the importance of cultural heritage, as well as its vulnerability and the efforts required to protect and conserve it. One of the many ways the United States works to preserve cultural heritage and property around the world is through its support to ICCROM – conserving culture, …
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On March 13, 2017 the United States joined the International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture that was approved at the 2001 Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). USUN Chargé d’Affaires Thomas Duffy deposited the instrument of ratification by presenting it to the Director General of …
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On February 13, 2017 the United States Embassy in Abuja announced a $116, 000 grant through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation program, for the preservation of cultural heritage in Nigeria. U.S. Ambassador W. Stuart Symington witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding of the grant between the International Center for the Study of …
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As agriculture professionals, we play a pivotal role in ending hunger and poverty. As this challenge has been confronted by numerous international organizations, faith-based groups and governments, women have emerged as playing a major role in agriculture around the globe. But often, their voices are still not heard and they are still not invited to …
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Every year the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA), selects a young American to serve as a Youth Observer to the United Nations. The Youth Observer position was created to increase youth interest and participation in international relations. This year’s Youth Observer, Ms. Nicol Perez, spent …
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For the International Day of the Girl Child 2016, the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome’s Chargé d’Affaires Thomas Duffy and his daughter, Elena, share thoughts on the importance of having girls’ participation. #DadsandDaughters. In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare October 11 as the International Day of …
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An open letter signed by more than 100 Nobel Prize winners — that’s one-third of living science laureates — calls on governments around the world to approve genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and exhorts environmental opponents to stop fighting biotechnological innovations. “How many poor people in the world must die before we consider this a ‘crime …
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Rising temperatures and less predictable rainfall patterns have disrupted agricultural planting cycles in Madagascar for the past three years, resulting in significant crop failures and a food shortage. And this year El Nino has made matters even worse. Rainfall has been up to 75 percent lower than the average of the last 20 years and …
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U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, David Lane, on March 7, formally presented Jose Graziano Da Silva, Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with the United States’ instrument of ratification of the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing . The United States became the 22nd nation to ratify the treaty when President Barack Obama …
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Thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate today. First, I want to commend the G20 for its leadership and the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Food Policy Research Institute for your willingness to take on this important challenge with today’s launch of the Technical Platform on Food Loss and Waste. As …
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I want to thank you for the invitation to be here during the FAO Council meeting, the conversation has been stimulating, and I am honored to be sitting with such distinguished colleagues. I was last here at FAO a year ago, for the second International Conference on Nutrition, I had come then as I do …
Read More» Good evening, and thank you for inviting me to speak to you during Hunger Week. I understand this is a long-held, honorable tradition at your university and one that you should be proud of: a week of awareness-raising, volunteering and fundraising around hunger issues. I am honored to be here with you, and eager to …
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It is an honour to be able to give the McGovern lecture. I first met Senator George McGovern, Ambassador George McGovern in the mid 2000s and his photo here perhaps expresses what we all know to be his good humor and his commitment to this fight against hunger. I met him through a mutual friend, …
Read More» Thank you Mr. President, and thank you Madame Executive Director for your thoughtful and comprehensive presentations. Please allow me to join others in welcoming Stephen O’Brien to WFP and to his new role as Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, although I’m sure he’s not feeling too new at this point after a few intense months …
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We know that when women farmers are given equal access to land and other agricultural resources, farming productivity and family nutrition in communities improves by as much as 30%. We also know that people with secure access to land are more likely to invest in that land and its sustainable use. And yet, around the …
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Over one and one-half million people have been displaced inside South Sudan, to escape the fighting; over 100,000 people have sought refuge on United Nations compounds. An additional 500,000 people have fled the country and are refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. Despite the herculean efforts of WFP, neighboring countries, and the humanitarian community, …
Read More» Leading up to International Women’s day, photos by USUN Rome’s Political Affairs Officer Sharon Ketchum were displayed at John Cabot University. The exhibition, highlighting the role women have in feeding the world, was introduced by Ambassador David Lane and attended by several USUN Rome employees, members of the UN community in Rome, and students and …
Read More» Good afternoon. I am happy to be here with you today in recognition of the “International Day of Family Remittances.” Before I share a few words with you on the importance and impact of remittances, I would like to first thank IFAD both for taking the initiative to draw global attention to the importance of …
Read More» U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, David Lane, participated in the “Road to Expo: Water for Food” conference in Rome, an event organized in cooperation with the National Research Council (CNR) at the American Studies Center and the U.S. Embassy to Italy. The conference promoted the role of science and technology in improving …
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Farmers in Mozambique, like those in other developing countries I have visited, consistently said they want one thing most of all – to move beyond subsistence farming to a modern agricultural economy. They seek business skills to improve and diversify their production, so that they can increase their incomes and provide more opportunities for their …
Read More» As part of “Feed the Future,” the U.S. government’s global food security and nutrition initiative, the USAID-supported Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition project helped Lucas with technical certifications, marketing research and product packaging. Lucas then turned to AgDevCo, a social impact investor, to raise the capital he needed. Lucas projects that with these investments, he …
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In the middle of a sun-drenched field in central Mozambique, Otilia Vasco, a farmer from Choridzo village, pointed to an easel illustrating demonstration plots the villagers were sowing under the guidance of a facilitator from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and explained excitedly how these test plots would help them choose the best …
Read More» This morning I would like to begin by acknowledging the heroic work and sacrifice of WFP staff and contractors across the organization this past year, and likewise for WFP’s implementing partners. In particular and with great sadness, we acknowledge Mr. Ayman Omar, Mr. Abdul Qader Haj Jneid, Mr. Ahmad Haj Jneid, and Mr. Housien Hammoud …
Read More» On Thursday, November 6th, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, David Lane, presided over his last meeting as President of the Assembly of Parties of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). Member parties, non-members and several distinguished guests attended the meeting, which highlighted the accomplishments of IDLO over the past year and detailed …
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Jordan, a relatively small country of 6.5 million people, has welcomed more than 620,000 Syrian refugees since 2011 (Jordan also hosts Palestinian and Iraqi refugees). This statistic only includes registered refugees, although many thousands more are believed to have entered Jordan without registering. This is equivalent to 27 million people entering the United States, more …
Read More» On October 19th, USUN Rome participated in the Hunger Run for the ninth consecutive year. The Hunger Run is an annual event, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, with the World Food Program (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as additional sponsors. It is designed to …
Read More» “Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of Sustainability at George Washington University, and former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was this year’s lecturer for the 11th Annual George McGovern Lecture sponsored by the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome (USUN). ” Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of Sustainability at George Washington …
Read More» The U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, David Lane, attended the October 17 signing of an agreement between the National Geographic Society and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to facilitate their work together to provide information and raise awareness about hunger and nutrition. The agreement provides National Geographic access to FAO’s …
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We know that when provided key resources, women can improve their lives and the future for their children. Two remarkable women I recently met in Burkina Faso showed me that innovation does not have to be large, complex or expensive, it simply needs to be well-designed with energetic and determined people to implement them on …
Read More» Dr. Nancy Stetson, the U.S. Secretary of State’s Special Representative for Global Food Security and head of the U.S. Delegation to the 41st Plenary of the Committee on World Food Security, led a Dialogue on Nutrition at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) last week in Rome .The October 14 event was the first in …
Read More» Buona Sera! Honored Guests, Fellow Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives, Friends and Colleagues – Good Evening. On the Fourth of July each year, Americans gather with family and friends to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On behalf of our team at the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies I would …
Read More» Thank you, Madam President. Madam Executive Director, and Distinguished Colleagues: Please allow me to begin by thanking Commissioner Georgieva for her tireless work to help the world meet humanity’s greatest challenges. Georgieva spoke powerfully of the partnerships. The United States is grateful for the partnerships you have championed between Europe, the United States, the United …
Read More» General Corsini, Vice Admiral Davidson, Commissioner Dorgan, I am greatly honored to be here today. I am particularly grateful to see that we are joined today by two veterans of the fighting here, as well as four family members of soldiers who participated in the Italian campaign. Italy, the United States and indeed the world …
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Traveling in the developing world to observe food security challenges and review projects and progress often stirs mixed emotions, and our just-completed trip through Cambodia was no exception. Alongside the excitement of learning about dramatic gains in agriculture productivity and cautious optimism from seeing important nutrition lessons adopted, I have to acknowledge the bracing effect …
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One of the goals of my recent journey to Cambodia focused on exploring opportunities for transforming Cambodia’s agriculture sector. Cambodia’s challenge is to produce enough nutritious and broadly accessible food to support a healthy, productive population and drive the growth of the national economy
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I was dismayed to learn that up to 40 percent of children in Cambodia might not reach their full potential due to a condition referred to as stunting. Stunting occurs when a lack of nutritious food limits a child’s growth and development. While I had heard about the effects of stunting, I was not fully …
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The United States is also a proud member of ICCROM, an intergovernmental organization based in Rome that is dedicated to the conservation of cultural heritage, and in Cambodia this includes Angkor Wat. By attracting global tourists to the region, properly preserving the temples at Angkor Wat will promote job creation and economic development.
Read More» U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome David J. Lane Leads Food Security Focused Media Tour to Tanzania Ambassador David J. Lane, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the Rome-based United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies, led a media tour to Tanzania from January 7 – 12, 2013. He visited rural …
Read More» Thank you all for joining Ambassador Jeanine Jackson, World Food Programme Deputy Director Baton Osmani, and USAID Mission Director Douglass Arbuckle and me today. As the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome, I am very pleased to have this opportunity to share some thoughts with you. In my position, …
Read More» Laws are the instrument by which citizens, through their government, protect themselves from, and regulate their relationships with each other. But, we rely on the rule of law not only to protect us, but to empowerus, by creating an environment that is fair, equal, consistent, and transparent for people to pursue their lives and reach …
Read More» David J. Lane, United States Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome (USUN) addressed an audience representing over 20 countries at the XI Annual Worldwide Forum on Education and Culture on November 29th in Rome. This year’s XI Forum focused on “Learning and Living Around the World: New Perspectives for New Challenges.” Ambassador Lane stressed …
Read More» David J. Lane, the United States Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome (USUN) was honored to be a guest speaker at the 50thanniversary of the University of California Education Abroad Programs in Rome. The anniversary celebration took place in the beautiful Borromini-designed 17th century Vallicelliana Library in Rome. Ambassador Lane reminded students, faculty and …
Read More» Today we celebrate the founding of the World Food Programme (WFP) 50 years ago, and take the occasion to renew our commitment to WFP’s mandate of saving, restoring and rebuilding lives around the world. The United States played a critical role in the establishment of WFP when, in 1961, George McGovern, then the director of …
Read More» Senior staff of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies (USUN Rome) addressed John Cabot University students on the functions of the three main Rome-based UN agencies – the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Approximately twenty students are …
Read More» Mr. Director-General, Mr. President, distinguished delegates; I am honored to represent the United States Government at this 27th General Assembly of ICCROM, an organization of which the United States has been a proud member since 1971. For the United States, the conversations we will hold and the decisions we make here on global cooperation in …
Read More» David J. Lane, the Ambassador of the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome (USUN Rome), represented the United States at the 39th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) during World Food Week. The CFS is the world’s preeminent policy forum aimed at ending world hunger. Its …
Read More» USUN Rome’s 10th Annual George McGovern Lecture at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) featured Tony P. Hall, Executive Director of The Alliance to End Hunger . Tony Hall served twenty-four years of service as a U.S. Congressman and was Ambassador to the USUN Rome Mission from 2002-2005. The U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome (USUN Rome), …
Read More» Former U.S. Senator and Ambassador to the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome George McGovern died on Sunday at the age of 90. George McGovern’s dedication to combating global hunger helped drive food and agriculture development around the world. The loss of this important global champion of the poor is particularly felt …
Read More» For the seventh year in a row , USUN Rome joined the annual Hunger Run sponsored by the UN Agencies in Rome, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Biodiversity International, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). This year the USUN team had over 175 participants, who donated …
Read More» I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America’s commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the …
Read More» The Ambassador of the United States of America to the United Nations Agencies in Rome, David J. Lane, presented his diplomatic credentials to the heads of the UN Agencies in Rome this week. On Monday, August 6, 2012 Ambassador Lane presented his credentials to José Graziano da Silva, the Director-General of the UN Food and …
Read More» The Ambassador of the United States of America to the United Nations Agencies in Rome, David J. Lane, presented his diplomatic credentials to Stefano De Caro, the Director-General of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) at the Centre’s headquarters in Rome on Thursday, August 23, 2012 …
Read More» In late June 2012, USUN Rome Chargé d’Affaires, Karen Johnson, traveled to Zimbabwe and Mozambique on a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) field visit. Together with six other country representatives to the FAO—from the EU, Indonesia, Iran, France, Morocco, and Switzerland—Ms. Johnson met with local government officials and visited FAO projects in these countries. In …
Read More» Chargé d’Affaires Karen Johnson hosted this year’s 4th of July reception for the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome at Villa Laura, her residence. “On this July 4th, in honor of the 236th anniversary of the United States of America, and with grateful appreciation to all of you, our colleagues, for the work …
Read More» Thank you, Mr. President and good morning everyone. I am pleased to warmly welcome Executive Director Ertharin Cousin and congratulate her once again on her appointment to this position. The United States, and particularly the US Mission to the UN in Rome, looks forward to continuing our close partnership with the World Food Program in …
Read More» USUN Rome Chargé d’Affaires Karen Johnson presented the keynote address at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy on Monday, May 28, 2012. Deputy Minister of Defense for Italy, Dr. Gianluigi Magri, also addressed the audience, along with Admiral Bruce W. Clingan, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe; Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa; and …
Read More» BY ELIZABETH PETROVSKI Though one sounds like a medical contraption and the other a geometry problem, water pans and trapezoidal bunds are actually vital instruments Kenyan herders and farmers can use to collect and preserve rainwater for human and livestock consumption and crop irrigation in areas regularly impacted by droughts. I recently had the opportunity …
Read More» Ertharin Cousin, United States Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, spoke about “Women and Multilateralism: Harvesting What We Sow” at an awards ceremony on March 6th that opened a women’s leadership conference in Bern, Switzerland. The three-day bilateral women’s leadership conference: “Sister Republics: Building Bridges – an action plan for women’s leadership” was organized …
Read More» USUN Rome participated in the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) 35th Governing Council held in Rome February 22-23. The conference theme was, “Sustainable smallholder agriculture: feeding the world, protecting the planet.” There were powerful voices who spoke out in support of smallholder farmers: United States Ambassador to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Agencies, Ertharin …
Read More» Thank you, Mr. President. Congratulations, Mr. President (Shobhan Pattanayak, Minister Counselor, Republic of India) and all the other newly elected members of the Executive Board Bureau. The United States looks forward to working closely with you to advance collectively our efforts against world hunger. And we express our utmost gratitude for the outstanding leadership of …
Read More» World Food Prize Laureate 2003 and Co-chair of the Global Agriculture Development Initiative for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Chair of the Council’s Girls in Rural Economies project, Catherine Bertini visited Ambassador Ertharin Cousin and staff at the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome, Italy (USUN Rome) …
Read More» Thank you, Mr. President. Let me join Brazil in recognizing the address of His Excellency President Napolitano as delivered by Ambassador Sebastiani, as well as the presence of High Commissioner Guterres. Their words today are a testament to their strong partnership with and high regard for WFP. As noted by you, Madame Executive Director, 2011 …
Read More» In a historic building just off Rome’s Piazza Venezia, a group of legal experts and government representatives gathered at the headquarters of UNIDROIT on November 8 for a colloquium to discuss private law aspects of agricultural production. UNIDROIT, also known as the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, is involved in modernizing, harmonizing …
Read More» Each year, to commemorate World Food Day, the three United States Missions in Italy – the U.S. Embassy to Italy, the U.S. Mission to the U.N. Agencies and the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See – join together to participate in FAO’s Run for Food race. The annual event serves as a reminder that nearly …
Read More» USUN Rome’s 9th Annual George McGovern Lecture at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) featured Roger Thurow, Senior Fellow on Global Agriculture and Food Policy at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Mr. Thurow is also the co-author of “ENOUGH: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty.” The U.S. Mission to …
Read More» This week in Rome, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Food Agencies in Rome Ertharin Cousin, and leaders from USAID, World Food Program, World Health Organization, and the United Nations System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC) joined over 180 experts from governments, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector …
Read More» On September 13, over 100 students, faculty and staff from Loyola University’s campus in Rome listened to Ambassador Ertharin Cousin’s moving remarks to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of September 11th. Ambassador Cousin poignantly told the students that “the rising democracies of today – like the ones rising up out of the Arab Spring – are …
Read More» Mr. Chairman, Director-General, distinguished colleagues: It is an honor and a pleasure to join my colleagues from all over the world at this 37th Conference of the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. I am pleased to join others in welcoming the Director General-elect José Graziano da Silva. The United States looks forward to …
Read More» The FAO’s 2010-2011 State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) Report, Women in Agriculture: Closing the Gender Gap for Development, revealed some compelling and informative findings about the critical but underutilized role women play in the food and agriculture industry globally. It also gave some convincing reasons for why investing in women agriculturalists — including farmers, …
Read More» Thank you, Madame President. The United States thanks the Executive Director for her strong statement today, and the United States welcomes the presence of WFP Hunger Ambassador Peter Bakker. Madame Executive Director, Since the last meeting of the Executive Board in February, we have once again experienced great personal losses. The United States expresses its …
Read More» Ambassador Ertharin Cousin served as keynote speaker at the Latin American Food Bank and Food Security Conference in Bogota, Colombia on May 26. Among other important topics, in her address she discussed her work as U.S. government representative to the UN Food and Agriculture agencies in Rome—the organizations that are at the heart of international …
Read More» On May 20th, Ambassador Ertharin Cousin visited the University of Minnesota where she received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree—the highest honor conferred by the university. She spoke to the university about the U.S. government’s important work with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies headquartered in Rome, Italy. The Ambassador also commended the University …
Read More» On Wednesday, May 18th Ambassador Ertharin Cousin joined the League of Black Women at their 8th Annual Global Leadership conference, “Black Women 2011: New World Power . . . When Your World Is Not Enough”. The Conference took place in Tampa, Florida. There she joined over 100 African American female professionals and students all present …
Read More» Good evening President Pavoncello, Rabbi Di Segni, Dr. Hagan, members of the 2011 graduating class, families, friends and faculty. Thank you for inviting me here this evening; it is my honor and pleasure to be here with all of you. This is truly an international school located in what was the heart of the Roman …
Read More» On Tuesday, April 12, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, Ertharin Cousin, and the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Miguel Diaz joined representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) as well as teachers and students from three international schools in Rome to celebrate the …
Read More» Saturday, April 2nd, the three U.S. Ambassadors accredited to the Italian Republic, the Holy See and the United Nations agencies, together with the Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno, took part in the “Clean Faces for Our Buildings” event to clean up the tags from the walls of Piazza Annibaliano in the II Municipio. After last …
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