Bangkok, Thailand, 10 Oct 2012 -- This year FAO will observe World Food Day (WFD) and the Organization's 67th anniversary on Monday 15 October. FAO was founded in Quebec City, Canada on 16 October 1945. This year’s WFD theme is Agricultural Cooperatives: Key to Feeding the World. In Bangkok, World Food Day will be commemorated with a major event to which the media is invited. Arrangements for the media are described below.
On Monday 15 October, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will preside over the 32nd World Food Day (WFD) commemoration at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. The ceremony will be attended by the Thai minister of agriculture and cooperatives, other senior Thai government officials, members of the diplomatic corps in Bangkok and officials from United Nations and civil society organizations.
The observance will include a welcome statement by Mr Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, a keynote address on Agriculture in a growing economy and the role of agricultural cooperatives: Focusing on Japan’s case, by Dr Hisao Azuma, former Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Japan and the former Senior Vice President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and now Senior Advisor, Japan Association for International Collaboration of Agriculture and Forestry (JAICAF) and awards will be presented to four model farmers from the Asia-Pacific region: Malaysia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The ceremony begins at 09:00 hours and lasts until 10:15 hours. After the ceremony, journalists are invited to refreshments and to interview guests, participants and FAO staff.
Press Passes should be collected on Monday morning 15 October between 08:00 and 08:30 hours immediately before the start of the ceremony at the FAO office in Bangkok, upon presentation of a valid press card or a letter of accreditation from the employing news organization. A press kit will be provided for each journalist attending the ceremony.
For reasons of space and security, the following arrangements will apply:
- There will be an area to accommodate photographers and cameramen wishing to record the arrival of dignitaries. They must be in place by 08:45 hours.
- Print, radio and TV journalists, photographers and cameramen will be accommodated in the Conference Hall where the ceremony takes place or, alternatively, can follow proceedings by CCTV in the reception hall.
Numerous success stories around the world have shown that cooperatives contribute to food security by helping small farmers, fishers, herders, foresters and other producers access the information, tools and services they need to grow and raise more food.