Samoa chosen to lead

In a watershed event for Samoa, its Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Le Mamea Ropati Mualia, has been elected as the Chairman of the 39th Session of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (F.A.O) Conference being held in Rome, Italy, this week.

This is the first time since the inception of the Conference in 1945 that a senior official from a small Pacific island state has been elected to lead it.

In thanking the conference for the trust placed in him, Minister Le Mamea also acknowledged the valuable encouragement and backing of Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi and his Cabinet colleagues.

The Conference was addressed by the Italian President, Sergio Mattarella, Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet and former President of Brazil, Luis Igancio Lula Da Silva, among several world leaders who are attending the high-level gathering.

The Conference brings together 194 member states to deliberate on key issues of the global food and agricultural system. It is also the first time that all 16 countries of the Southwest Pacific region have participated in the conference.

The Conference is the ultimate decision making body of F.A.O, determining its overall policy and strategy making decisions on the organization’s future directions and budget.

Its 39th session has elected F.A.O’s Director General Tagaloaletoa o le Malae o le Toto Graziano Da Silva for a second term until 2019.

It will also approve the organization’s work programme and budget for 2015-2016.

“I thank the delegates for the trust they placed in me to steer the proceedings of this important conference, in particular my colleagues the Ministers of the Southwest Pacific region for their support,” said Le Mamea upon his election.

“I call upon the delegates for their active engagement so that we can address the key challenges and make strategic decisions to move forward the agenda of the global food and agriculture system,” he said.

The Minister further noted that, “the challenges of food and nutrition security are immediate and real in particular with the adverse impacts of climate change. The Pacific countries must build their solidarity to mobilize international support and marshal their own resources to build resilience for food and nutrition security.”

A high-level meeting on Small Island Developing States was held on the margins of the conference to discuss the specific challenges of small islands in the face of climate change.

The Prime Ministers of Fiji, Guinea Bissau and St. Vincent and the Grenadines addressed the meeting calling for a coordinated approach to address the unique vulnerabilities of small island states.

The meeting also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between FAO and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group deepening their ties with an eye to bolstering national capacities to cope with climate change, enhance food security and support sustainable food production.

The Samoa delegation to the Conference included Ambassador Fatumanava, Honorary Consul General Papalii Caffarelli, Fanene Mark Betham, Assistant C.E.O of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Leota Laumata Pelesa, Maiava Elisa Mualia and Pepe Luteru.