THE Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their partnership and boost public-private collaboration.

The MoU was signed by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and ICC Secretary-General John Denton, and will support the three pillars of sustainable development, namely: Economic, social and environmental development, with an emphasis on mitigating climate change, and strengthening the resilience of agri-food systems and natural resources.

As part of the agreement, the two parties have agreed to enhance advocacy and communication, seeking opportunities to highlight their shared commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promote the important role played by the FAO, the ICC and the private sector in achieving those goals at local and global levels.
The MoU also aims to facilitate knowledge exchange between the two parties, and support their individual initiatives, especially those having to do with SDG 2, which speaks to “ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030”.

As part of this, the ICC will provide the FAO with a platform to share knowledge on best sustainable agricultural practices, with the aim of increasing collaboration with the private sector. Additionally, the MoU will connect relevant FAO offices with the ICC’s network of National Committees and National and Local Chambers of Commerce.

HAND-IN-HAND  
Through FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative, the FAO and the ICC will work together to promote responsible investments and sustainable strategies for agri-food system transformation, and foster private sector engagement.
Hand-in-Hand acts as a matchmaker of resources, including knowledge, technology, innovation, capacity development and training, access to markets and finance and investment, to bring together development partners and countries and encourage collaboration.

Through Hand-in-Hand, parties can help each other realise their economic and social potential.  The FAO and the ICC have agreed to join forces to enhance the participation of the private sector in this initiative.
The ICC is the institutional representative of more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries. It supports the work of the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and many other intergovernmental bodies, such as the G20, on behalf of international business.