Bilateral meeting with H.E. Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan

New York - On the sidelines of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met with the Prime Minister of Bhutan, H.E. Tshering Tobgay. The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for FAO's support during the COVID-19 pandemic, when urban workers who lost their jobs in service industries benefitted from a FAO peri-urban food production initiative to bridge the livelihoods gap during the crisis, saving lives. He also expressed his deep concern that Bhutan's subsistence farmers were highly vulnerable to the increasing risk of climate shocks and requested FAO's support in building resilience in the country's agrifood system.

The Prime Minister also praised FAO's mandate and values in working to eradicate hunger, which he emphasized was particularly pernicious for infants and children, who suffer lifelong physical and mental effects of malnutrition.

The Director-General reaffirmed FAO's full support and partnership with Bhutan to assist them in facing challenges as a landlocked highland least developed country, including with regard to critical water resource management.

The two also discussed Bhutan's participation in the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum during the upcoming World Food Forum 2024 at FAO headquarters in Rome, where the country will present an investment plan to a range of partners, including private sector investors.