UNGA Joint Press Briefing on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) with the Quadripartite on the significance of the High-Level Meeting on AMR and its outcome

Ladies and Gentlemen, esteemed members of the media

• Today, I stand before you to speak about AMR in the agrifood systems. These systems are not merely a source of nutrition; they are the backbone of food security, economic stability, social well-being, and environmental sustainability.
• Let me be clear: 1.5 billion farmers depend on livestock production to provide the world with healthy and safe food.
• Annually, foodborne diseases account for 600,000 million cases and 420,000 deaths, facilitating the spread of resistant infections from food to health systems.
• Without effective antimicrobials to combat infections in our animals and plants, we jeopardize not just our food security but also global health, economic prosperity, biodiversity, and the integrity of our ecosystems.
• Evidence is the basis of our action. Surveillance systems like FAO's InFARM, WOAH's ANiMUSE, and WHO's GLASS are crucial.
• These systems provide essential data on AMR and Antimicrobial Use, empowering decision makers to take informed decisions when designing interventions and policy to effectively address AMR within national and local contexts.
• We look forward to the launch of GISSA, the Global Integrated System for Surveillance of AMR and AMU, recognizing that surveillance is stronger when integrated.
• But data alone is insufficient.
• Of equal importance is the establishment of concrete milestones to follow up and assess our progress and foster coordinated and multi-stakeholder collaboration across sectors and borders.
• We welcome the provision of the political declaration for biennial global reviews by the Quadripartite and the reporting by the Secretary General on the implementation of this document at the next high-level meeting in 2029;
• This to be complemented by the AMR Partnership Platform, established by the Quadripartite and hosted by FAO and it's role in the assessment of member state's progress in implementing National Action Plans on AMR.
• Recognized in the Political Declaration as a global multi-stakeholder governance body on AMR, this platform is our collective mechanism for driving global collaboration, sharing best practices,
• We must be ready to report on our actions.
• FAO welcomes the commitments in agriculture and animal health in the declaration, including:
  • Reducing global antimicrobial use in agrifood systems by 2030.
  • Investing in and promoting alternatives to antimicrobials.
  • Ensuring prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials in animals and agriculture.
  • Defining animal vaccination strategies with clear implementation plans
  • Developing further global guidance to prevent and reduce the use of antimicrobials in plant agriculture
  • Investing in animal and plant health systems to ensure equitable access to essential veterinary services, enhance management practices, and improve oversight of antimicrobial use.
• FAO's RENOFARM initiative is already leading this change, providing sustainable solutions to farmers and assisting countries in transforming their agrifood systems to reduce reliance on antimicrobials.
• AMR is a shared challenge that affects us all and we hold a shared responsibility. That is why I urge the global community to adopt the second political declaration and take its commitments seriously, demonstrated by effective implementation.
• We must act now.