FAO and Brazilian government sign Letter of Intent to establish a Center for Trilateral South-South Cooperation in Brazil
14 September 2023, Brazil: On the second day of his visit to Brazil, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu signed a Letter of Intent with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mauro Vieira, for the establishment of a Center for Trilateral South-South Cooperation in Brazil.
The Center, which will be named after the famous Brazilian geographer and former Independent Chairperson of the FAO Council, Josué de Castro, will focus on knowledge, research, expertise, and new technologies related to tropical agriculture. It will support countries from the Global South, particularly those in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).
During the signing ceremony, Minister Vieira highlighted the long and successful collaboration between Brazil and FAO in supporting developing countries through trilateral cooperation. He highlighted that fighting hunger and poverty and promoting food security are priorities for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Minister Vieira also noted that Brazil will preside over the G20 in 2024 and the BRICS in 2025, and will ensure that issues related to food and agriculture are at the top of the agenda.
Director-General Qu said he was very pleased to visit Brazil and sign agreements with the Brazilian government to fulfil the noble mission of fighting hunger and poverty in the world. He highlighted the results of FAO-Brazil collaboration and its great potential to support developing countries across the world based on solidarity, equity and partnership, the pillars of South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
He noted that FAO is now more efficient and fit for purpose after the reforms implemented across the Organization, including through the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 based on the aspiration of the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no-one behind.
Qu also praised President Lula for his lifelong commitment and efforts to fight hunger and poverty in the world and noted that Brazil will have great opportunities to place this subject even higher in the international agenda with the presidency of G20 and BRICS, as well as the organization of COP30 in Belem in 2025.
In addition to the Letter of Intent for the establishment of the Josue de Castro Center, FAO and the Brazilian government also signed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with the National Development Bank of Brazil (BNDES) aimed at preserving the Amazon and other biomes; with the Ministry for Integration and Regional Development to promote inclusive and sustainable development in the Legal Amazon; and with the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE) on increasing competitiveness of family farming activities in Brazil.
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