Launch of "The state of the world's land and water resources for food and agriculture: Systems at breaking point (SOLAW 2021)"

 The FAO Land and Water Division is organizing   the launch of "The state of the world's land and water resources for food and agriculture: Systems at breaking point (SOLAW 2021)", which will take place on 9 December 2021 from 12:30 to 14:00 (CET) during the Land & Water Days.

Register here

The event will be held in English, with interpretation available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.

It will take place in hybrid modality, both virtually and in presence in the Red Room at FAO HQ. Participation in presence in the Red Room is by invitation only.

For more information about the launch of SOLAW 2021 and the Land & Water Days, visit the dedicated webpage here. 

Agenda

Master of Ceremonies, Ms Thin Lei Win

12:30-13:25
High Level Opening Ceremony

Welcoming address, Dr. QU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO

Opening address by High Level Representatives:
- Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Chair, UN-Water and President, IFAD 
- Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Director, UNCCD 
- H.E. Oscar Maùrtua De Romaña, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peru 
- H.E Gerardine Mukeshimana, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Rwanda [TBC] 
- H.E. Julia Klöckner, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Germany [TBC] 
- H.E. Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE 
- H.E. Pio Wennubst, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, Switzerland 

- H.E Céline Jurgensen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, France  

- H.E Defu Guang, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, China 

- H.E. Marcel Beukeboom, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, Netherlands 

- H.E Cindy McCain, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, USA [TBC]

- Mr. Thanawat Tiensin, Permanent Representative to FAO, Thailand 

- Mr. Mina Rizk, Alternate Permanent Representative to FAO, Egypt  

- H.E. Alexandra VALKENBURG, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, European Union 

13:25-13:30 
Video animation on "The state of the world's land and water resources for food and agriculture 2021" 

13:30-13:40 
Presentation of SOLAW 2021: Main findings and recommendations 
Mr. Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO 

13:40-13:50
Response to the SOLAW 2021: 
- Mr. Henk Ovink, Special Envoy International Water Affairs, Kingdom of the Netherlands 
- Mr. Sulton Rahimzoda, Chairman, Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving Aral Sea (ECIFAS)
- Victor Chude, African Soil Partnership [TBC] 

13:50-13:55
Signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between FAO and “Universitat Politècnica de València” (Spain)

13:55-14:00
Concluding remarks
- Ms. Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, FAO