Bangladesh has been unanimously elected a Member of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the second consecutive term from the Asia Region for a three-year term from 01 July 2024 to 30 June 2027. The election took place on 06 July 2023 at the 43rd Session of the Conference of the FAO held in Rome at which 194 Member States participated.
Being a member at the FAO Council, Bangladesh with other Council Members will lead the organization at both policy and executive level in deciding and advising on matters pertaining to the implementation of programme and budget, monitoring of activities under the new results-based framework, monitoring of the implementation of governance decisions, and oversight of the administration of the organization for three years. Bangladesh Embassy in Rome remained pro-actively engaged to obtain support in favour of Bangladesh.
The ongoing 43rd Session of the FAO Conference is being held on a hybrid modality at the FAO Headquarters, Rome. The 8-member Bangladesh delegation is led by Agricultural Minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, which also includes the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Ms. Wahida Akter and the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Italy and the Permanent Representative to FAO Mr. Md. Shameem Ahsan. The Permanent Representative and the Economic Counsellor from the Embassy of Bangladesh attended the conference in-person.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Bangladesh was also earlier elected as a member at the FAO Council in its 42nd Session of the Conference for the term 01 July 2022 to 30 June 2024.