Morocco Elected as Vice President of FAO Council
Morocco was elected yesterday, Monday in Rome, as Vice President of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Council, during the 179th session of this UN agency’s conference.
Morocco will serve as Vice President of the FAO Council, the organization’s executive body comprising 49 member countries, tasked with overseeing the implementation of its political programs and strategic orientations, until 2029.
Youssef Blal, Morocco’s permanent representative to the UN agencies in Rome, who heads the Moroccan delegation participating in the conference from December 1 to 5, stated to the Maghreb Arab Press that this election underscores the confidence member states have in Morocco’s constructive role within the decision-making bodies of the FAO.
In his speech at this session, Mr. Blal highlighted the “careful” preparations for amendments to the work program and budget for 2026-2027.
He recalled, in this context, Morocco’s “support for the ratification of these amendments,” praising the reallocation of $5 million to priority sectors, particularly the Technical Cooperation Program (TCP) and the Codex Alimentarius, among other critical areas linked to the organization’s normative and operational mandate, aimed at enhancing direct support to developing countries and improving the overall performance of the FAO.
Mr. Blal also acknowledged the efforts made to accelerate digital transformation, enhance environmental sustainability, and improve results-based management, emphasizing the importance of having a modern, effective FAO focused on achieving results.
During this conference, the council will focus on reforming the organization and ways to improve its governance and working mechanisms, in order to enhance its effectiveness and capacity to respond to global challenges related to food security.
The discussions of this session, which take place in an international context marked by pressures on food markets and the worsening impacts of climate change, fall within the broader framework of the “UN 80” initiative, aimed at modernizing the United Nations system and aligning its institutions with the realities and requirements of the coming decades.
