Press Release

FAO Strengthens Commitment to Iraq in Addressing Environmental and Agricultural Challenges

15 October 2023

Baghdad, 13 October 2023 - Following up the meeting between the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Dr QU Dongyu, and His Excellency the President of the Republic of Iraq, Abdul Latif Rashid, during the UN 2023 Water Conference which underscored Iraq's commitment to finding sustainable solutions to the country’s multiple environmental and agricultural  challenges, a dedicated team from  the organization’s headquarters successfully concluded a mission to the Republic of Iraq from 10 to12 October.

Led by Mr LI Lifeng, Director of the Land and Water division (NSL), and accompanied by Ms Fidaa Haddad, Forestry Officer of Forestry division, Mr Jacopo Monzini, Senior Natural Resources Management Officer of Investment Centre and Mr Feras Ziadat, NSL officer, the working group closely assessed Iraq's diverse environmental and agricultural challenges and potential solutions, including water harvesting and storage, modern irrigation, combatting sand and dust storms , afforestation, wastewater treatment and re-use, drought tolerant crops.

Accompanied by FAO Representative in Iraq, Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan, and his team, the mission participated in important meetings with key Iraqi high-level officials including a Grand Audience with the President of the Republic, productive discussions with the Prime Minister's Advisory Committee, collaborative dialogues with His Excellency the Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Awn Dhiab Abdullah, their Excellencies the Technical Deputy of the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Jasim Abdul Aziz Hamadi, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Bilateral Relations, Ambassador Mohammed Bahar Al-Ulum, and the Technical Deputy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Mithaq Al-Khafaji.

In addition to these significant meetings, the delegation convened with members of the UN Country Team Priority Working Group promoting Natural Resource and Disaster Risk Management, and Climate Change Resilience (PWG4). This meeting, which was also attended by a representative of the office of the Deputy Special Representative of the United National Secretary-General for Iraq (DSRSG), provided a comprehensive overview of the climate-related challenges in Iraq and showcased the collaborative efforts of various United Nations agencies in addressing these challenges.

The team also had the opportunity to closely witness FAO Iraq programs and strong collaboration with key Iraqi ministries, underscoring FAO's commitment to supporting Iraq's sustainable development efforts and fostering impactful partnerships.

Iraqi officials expressed their deep appreciation for FAO's work and cooperation. They acknowledged FAO's critical role in addressing environmental and agricultural challenges, further strengthening the enduring partnership between Iraq and FAO.

Mr. Li emphasized the vital role of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) proposal, currently under review by the Fund, in addressing these climate-related challenges and advised to maximize the resources of GCF and Global Environmental Facility (GEF) to enhance its resilience against the impacts of climate change and land degradation. The mission's objectives align closely with leveraging the GCF to support Iraq's environmental and agricultural priorities, all of which are geared towards addressing climate impacts, environmental challenges, improving food security, and ensuring a sustainable future for Iraq.

Dr. El Hajj Hassan stated "Our role in Iraq is a testament to FAO's unwavering commitment to addressing the country's agricultural and climate challenges. We are committed to working hand in hand with the Government of Iraq to bring about transformative solutions. FAO will continue to provide support to strengthen Iraq’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.”

The FAO mission to Iraq represents an important step towards addressing Iraq's agricultural and climate challenges priorities.  The collaboration between FAO and Iraq's esteemed partners is expected to create transformative solutions that will help sustainable resources management, strengthen the bastions of food security and build the nation's resilience in the face of adversity.

For more information, please contact:

Khawla Ben Aicha, International Communications Specialist: khawla.benaicha@fao.org

Salah El Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Iraq : salah.elhajjhassan@fao.org

To know more about FAO and its various divisions, please visit the following websites:

Khawla Ben Aicha

Khawla Ben Aicha

FAO
Communications Specialist
khawla.benaicha@fao.org
Salah Elhajjhassan

Salah Elhajjhassan

FAO
Representative
salah.elhajjhassan@fao.org
Mr Hajj Hassan, a national of Lebanon, holds a Ph.D. in Plant Production from the University of Agriculture, Damascus, Syria; a Master of Science degree in Plant Production and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering, both from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
He started his career in 1984, as Senior Research Assistant in the Agricultural Research and Education Centre (AREC), American University of Beirut. From 1987 to 1991, he was Coordinator of the Student Training Programme, and also Agriculture and Horticultural Teacher for the Faculty of Agriculture, at the Lebanese University.
From 1991 to 1995, he worked as Agricultural Engineer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Bekaa Regional Office, Zahlah and was then assigned to the Agricultural Research Institute in the Tal Amara station, first as Head of the Crop Production Department and subsequently in charge of the Plant Protection Laboratory. From 2002 to 2006, he was Director of the Kfardane Research Station (Agricultural Research Institute). In 2008, he became Visiting Scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Coordinator of a project with the International Centre for Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.
In 2010, he served as Advisor to the Minister for Agriculture of Lebanon. In 2011, he became President of the Pesticide Scientific Committee, Head of the Phytoplasma Committee and Director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (ARDP) (EU-funded project). From 2010 to 2013, he represented Lebanon in negotiations with EU, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. During his career, Mr Hajj Hassan also carried out a number of other functions. He represented the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) in several research programmes with the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the American University of Beirut. He was Coordinator of the Mashreq/Maghreb project with ICARDA, representing Lebanon in the Steering Committee, as well as being the Head of the Sugar-beet Delivery and of the Wheat Delivery Committees. For a number of years, Mr Hajj Hassan worked for the preparation of FAO TCP projects and served as the National Director of a TCP project. He joined FAO in January 2014 as FAO Representative in Yemen. Mr Hajj Hassan succeeds Mr El Zubi as FAO Representative in Iraq.

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