The mission [fr]

As a founding member of the UN and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), France is very attached to the three UN institutions based in Rome: as the EU’s leading agricultural power, with a powerful agro-industrial sector (the agricultural and food sector is our third largest export sector), France is also traditionally very committed to aid to developing countries (5th largest contributor in the world in terms of volume) and humanitarian aid. It therefore supports the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in their efforts to eliminate hunger as well as the World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s leading humanitarian agency.

The role of the Permanent Representation is to monitor the activities of these organisations in order to report to the French authorities and to present France’s positions. The staff of the Permanent Representation ensure that these positions are taken into account in international negotiations and reflected in the statements made by the European Union as a member of the FAO and a major contributor to the WFP. To this end, they participate on behalf of France in numerous preparatory meetings, in the governance bodies of FAO, WFP and IFAD and in the various committees and bodies attached to these institutions (more than 80 committees and secretariats of multilateral initiatives at FAO). The Permanent Representation is also responsible for assisting and guiding French institutions, companies and nationals who wish to work with the UN in Rome.

Composed of a multidisciplinary and interministerial team, the mission represents, under the authority of the Ambassador, Permanent Representative, all French government departments and public institutions maintaining relations with the three organisations, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifoods and Forestry, the Ministry of Finance (the General Directorate of the Treasury sits on IFAD’s Governing Council), the Ministry of Ecology, the French Development Agency and the specialised research institutes (in particular CIRAD, INRA and IRD). It is in permanent contact with all the ministries concerned and, for the coordination of French positions at the FAO, the General Secretariat for European Affairs (SGAE).