China's Qu vows to make FAO more dynamic, transparent and inclusive

An official ceremony was held on Wednesday to mark the handover between the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) outgoing chief Jose Graziano Da Silva and the new Director-General of the agency Qu Dongyu, who vowed to make this organization more dynamic, transparent and inclusive.

Chinese candidate Qu Dongyu, left, stands by FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva after being appointed as the new Director General of FAO during the 41st Conference in Rome. [Photo: IC]

Qu, China's vice minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs since 2015, had been elected with a large majority for the post during the 41st FAO Conference that gathered here in June.

"Today, you are witnessing the first official handover ceremony held at FAO for the position of Director-General... this ceremony is a testament to the continuity of FAO's leadership," Qu told the audience gathered in the Sheikh Zayed conference center of FAO.

The new agency's chief thanked his predecessor for "contributing substantially to the success of the agency."

He also outlined some of the future guidelines of his mandate.

"I intend to work for an FAO that applies modern science and technology, and adopts innovative approaches," Qu stressed.

"An organization that identifies new ways to improve performance and delivery, by digitalizing our activities, by intensifying out collaboration with academia, research centers, and the private sector".

Qu also praised the agency's personnel for their efforts.

"I strongly believe the main asset of FAO is its staff... and as new Director-General, I plan to take necessary measures in order to elevate staff morale, make FAO more dynamic, and further increase the satisfaction of our Members with our work and delivery," he explained.

"My goal is to make this organization more dynamic, transparent and inclusive in the coming four years," Qu stressed.

In his last address to colleagues and diplomatic representatives gathered for the ceremony, the outgoing Director-General welcomed Qu in his new role, and highlighted the improvements he believed the agency has made in the last seven and a half years.

"FAO is today better adapted to the sustainable development goals of the UN Agenda 2030, and ready to address the new global challenges, such as migration, climate change, obesity and overweight," Graziano Da Silva said.

Khalid Mehboob, Independent Chairperon of the FAO Council, thanked Graziano for his unwavering efforts to achieve zero hunger, one of the explicit goals of the FAO's constitution. Mehboob said he is looking forward to working with Qu and facilitating consensus among FAO Members for its programs and priorities.

Qu will be the first Chinese official to serve as Director-General of FAO, since the organization's inception.

His mandate will officially run from Aug. 1 to July 31, 2023, succeeding Brazilian Jose Graziano Da Silva, who has served as the agency's top head for two consecutive terms since January 2012 (after being elected in June 2011 and confirmed in 2015).

Born in China's southern province of Hunan in 1963, Qu boasts of an extensive background in the agricultural field.

He graduated with a Bachelor Degree from the Hunan Agricultural College in 1983, and obtained a Master Degree in plant breeding and genetics from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).

He achieved his PhD in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands in 1996.

Before being appointed vice minister at China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in June 2015, he served as Director-General of the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the CAAS between 2000 and 2002, and as Vice President of the CAAS between 2001 and 2008.

Once appointed vice minister of Agriculture, among various tasks, Qu worked on promoting a market-oriented development of agriculture supported by IT, launching a mechanism of exchange on urban agriculture among big and medium-sized cities in China, and encouraging agriculture brand building and specialty industries.

According to his official candidate profile, the scientist contributed to the formulation of crucial domestic policy papers, including China's 13th Five-year Plan (2016-2020) for International Agricultural Cooperation and the Vision and Actions for Joint Promotion of Agriculture Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

He was also extensively involved in international cooperation in the field, including the activities of the ASEAN plus China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea cooperation mechanism, and the design of several South-South Cooperation flagship projects with FAO, the World Bank, and other international agencies.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization was founded in Quebec City, Canada, in 1945. It comprises of 194 member states, plus one member organization (the European Union) and two associate members (the Faroe Islands and Tokelau), working in over 130 countries worldwide.

The FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.