ROME, SEPTEMBER 15 – Ambassador Bruno Archi, the new Italian Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Rome presented today his credentials to the FAO Director General, QU Dongyu, expressing support to the food security agenda of the UN agencies based in Italy. “Mutual, deepest satisfaction for the outstanding cooperation between Italy and FAO. Proud to host the UN hub dedicated to food and agriculture. Ready to strengthen our collaboration towards the 2030 Agenda”, the Italian Mission said on Twitter.
FAO is one of the UN agencies base in Rome along with IFAD and the World Food Programme. Also linked to the United Nations system, but not belonging to it, are Bioversity International (BI) and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). In addition, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the UN base in Brindisi, “United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot” (UNHRD), operate in close liaison with the Agencies of the Rome Agribusiness cluster.
Food security is at the center of the new Ambassador mission because of the catastrophic consequences on food supplies due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, two of the largest producers and exporters of grain and fertilizer, adding to the problems caused by cliate change and the Covid-19 pandemic which has caused a slowdown, and in some cases even worsening (or backsliding), in the achievement of the sustainable development goals promoted by the Agenda.
Born in Belgium in 1962, Archi graduated in political science from the University of Rome and entered the diplomatic career in 1989. In 1991 he took his first post in Ankara, while in 1995 he moved to Copenhagen. In 1997 he returned to Rome’s headquarters, then in 2000 he was Diplomatic Adviser in the Prime Minister’s Office, where since 2006 he has held the position of Special Representative for Balkan Reconstruction. He was also an MP from 2013 to 2018 and Deputy Foreign Minister with responsibility for, among other things, Italians abroad during Enrico Letta’s government. (@OnuItalia)