Rome:The Philippines has called for enhanced coordination and synergy among the United Nations' Rome-based agencies at the 10th Informal Joint Meeting of the Governing Bodies of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP). This meeting was held on September 17 at the FAO Plenary Hall in Rome, Italy.
According to Philippines News Agency, the high-level meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation among these UN agencies, which focus on global food security, agricultural development, and humanitarian assistance. Discussions centered on advancing the Rome-based agencies' Blueprint in fragile and crisis-affected settings, minimizing operational overlap, and reinforcing the distinct mandates of the FAO, IFAD, and WFP.
The meeting sought to move beyond broad commitments, aiming for concrete measures to enhance the collective impact of the agencies at the country level, particularly in line with the UN80 Reform and Humanitarian Reset initiatives. Participants also explored ways to improve governance and coordination mechanisms for joint engagements.
For the Philippines, the discussions were significant due to ongoing challenges from climate change and natural disasters impacting its agricultural and fishing communities. The Philippine Permanent Representation to the UN agencies in Rome stressed the need for stronger coordination to benefit communities directly.
Philippine Permanent Representative and Ambassador Neal Imperial highlighted that interagency cooperation should improve rural livelihoods while respecting the agencies' mandates. He emphasized that cooperation must be nationally led and aligned with host governments' policies and development plans.
The Philippine delegation included Josyline C. Javelosa, Agriculture Attach© and Deputy Permanent Representative, and Mylo Fausto, Attach© and Alternate Permanent Representative. The Philippines is currently serving a three-year term as a member of the FAO Council for 2025-2027 and participates in the WFP Executive Board as an Eligible List B country.
