Alexander De Croo discusses Belgian cooperation with the Global Fund and FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

On the occasion of the signing of the Framework Arrangement, Alexander De Croo congratulated FAO Director-General Graziano da Silva with the honorary fellowship he received yesterday at the Faculty of Agricultural and Biotechnology of the University of Liege. Together with FAO, Belgium is working on new strategies to produce sufficient and healthy food in a sustainable way for a growing global population.

Alexander De Croo and José Graziano da Silva discussed the ongoing modernization of the Belgian strategy for agriculture and food security. This new strategy focuses more on productive agriculture, on the farmer as an entrepreneur and on strengthening the whole agro-food chain as a productive, innovative and resilient sector.

The Minister and the head of the FAO also exchanged views on how to strengthen the collaboration with the private sector. They discussed the importance of digital and new agricultural technologies, and the need to bridge the digital divide in rural areas, especially in the poorest countries.

They also addressed the Humanitarian Istanbul Summit that was held last month. The agreement to invest more in disaster preparedness and resilience of local communities is one outcome that is of particular interest to both Belgium and the FAO.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

During his meeting with Executive Director Mark Dybul, Minister De Croo emphasized the importance of close cooperation between government, the private sector and civil society. All available expertise should be maximally mobilized to the benefit of all those affected.

Belgium can play a crucial role in this respect. It houses the world-renowned Institute of Tropical Medicine, it has one of the most innovative pharmaceutical industries in the world and it supports various universities and NGOs that are very active in the health sector in developing countries.

The Global Fund is a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund mobilizes and invests nearly four billion USD annually to support programs in more than hundred countries.

Belgium has been one of the largest donors of the Global Fund since it was launched in 2002. Together with the Global Fund, Belgium wishes to concentrate more on the Least Developed Countries and on vulnerable population groups that are disproportionately affected. In the framework agreement with the Global Fund, Belgium also gives particular attention to sexual and reproductive health rights and the promotion of human rights and gender equality.