Federal Minster for National Food Security and Research, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan on Wednesdaycongratulated Khalid Mehboob on securing the independent chair of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Council for the term 2017-2019.
The Minister lauded that, “Mehboob’s rich experience of over 40 years working at senior positions in FAO and then as Pakistan’s Alternate delegate to FAO, World Food Programme (WFP) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), enabled him to seek consensus among all stakeholders and establish effective coordination among the Rome based agencies, which is of great importance for attainment of the goals of FAO.”
In the first round of voting, Mehboob secured 64 votes. The candidate from Slovakia got 32, Cyprus 26, Indonesia 19, Albania 4 and Bosnia 2. Before the second round of voting, Indonesia, Slovakia and Cyprus withdrew in favor of Pakistan and Mehboob was declared as elected. It is to be noted that lastly Pakistan held this position at the FAO back in 1955.
Khalid Mehboob in his speech thanked all member states for their support and resolved to work for achieving the aims and objectives of the FAO. He stated that his stress would be on attaining consensus. He also thanked the outgoing Chairperson for his outstanding work.
