By Mahdi Al-Nimer
ROME, Nov 22 (KUNA) -- Chairman and Director-General of Kuwait's Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) Nabila Al-Khalil and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva have met here to discuss preparations for opening a FAO office in Kuwait.
During the meeting, they thrashed out administrative and logistical arrangements for putting in place a Gulf technical partnership and cooperation agreement for the development of natural resources, and for launching a FAO facility in the State of Kuwait, the Office of Kuwait's permanent representative at the FAO Yusuf Jeheil said in a statement to KUNA.
The opening of a FAO office in Kuwait is mainly intended to boost technical cooperation between the Gulf country and the international organization and to make better use of the latter's technical expertise, according to the statement.
During the meeting, the PAAAFR chairman and director-general voiced determination to pay a special visit to Kuwait in February to launch the new office there at a time when the Gulf country will celebrate its national festivals, it said.
The FAO chief vowed to provide technical and vocational training to Kuwaiti personnel through the international organization's new office in Kuwait with a view to helping in the implementation of its national development strategy, it added.
But, he asked Kuwait to coordinate with other GCC member states to unify their laws in the fields of fish, floral and faunal resources, the statement pointed out.
Chairman and Director-General of Kuwait's Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) Nabila Al-Khalil is here to attend the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The conferees adopted the Rome Declaration on Nutrition - a political commitment document, and the Framework for Action - a technical guide for implementation.
The Rome Declaration on Nutrition enshrines the right of everyone to have access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food, and commits governments to preventing malnutrition in all its forms, including hunger, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity The Framework for Action recognizes that governments have the primary role and responsibility for addressing nutrition issues and challenges, in dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders-including civil society, the private sector and affected communities.
The conference gathered representatives of FAO's 170 member states, including Kuwaiti Minister of Health Ali Saad Al-Obaidi, between November 19 and 21, to address the multiple challenges of malnutrition in all its forms and identify opportunities for tackling them in the next decades. (end) mn.mt