Bilateral meeting with Ms Allison Hooker, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Department of State of the United States of America
31 January 2026, Rome: FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met today with Ms. Allison Hooker, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Department of State of the United States of America, at FAO Headquarters in Rome.
The Director-General welcomed the Under Secretary and conveyed his appreciation for the opportunity to meet. The Director-General recalled the historically strong leadership role the United States has played in supporting FAO from its inception in Hot Springs, Virginia in 1943 through to supporting FAO’s ongoing reform process.
Under Secretary Hooker underscored the importance of FAO’s mandate and the priority the United States places on reforming and bringing the United Nations system back to basics, identifying and resolving duplicative mandates, improving governance, transparency and accountability, and tackling inefficiencies.
The Director-General highlighted the value that FAO brings to its Members through fostering science and evidence-based global agrifood trade, normative work supporting food safety through CODEX Alimentarius and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), as well as critical work controlling transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases.
The Director-General further highlighted efforts to unleash science and innovation, empower youth and women, formulate strategic Hand-in-Hand agrifood sector investments, and promote a digital FAO. He also highlighted FAO’s commitment to accountability and transparency, pointing to its new, publicly available Transparency Portal.
The two agreed on the importance of delivering robust reform, both within FAO and in support of the UN 80 reform process.
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