Figure: FAO photo.

FAO NEWS; 15/12/2022

Rome -  A highlight of the new culture of “listening to each other” at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) took place Thursday, with 200 individuals and 19 teams winning Employee Recognition Awards.

The awards, now in their fourth season, were introduced by Director-General QU Dongyu shortly after taking office in 2019. Employees are “FAO’s biggest asset,” he said at today’s hybrid ceremony, held at headquarters and remotely.

Virtual participation was particularly important as the majority of the 200 winners work in the field, a point Qu emphasized.

“I thank all employees for their dedication, commitment and passion. Let us continue to walk the talk together,” he said. He pointed out that while 2022 was for FAO the year of the Extraordinary, following on previous years devoted to Efficiency and Effectiveness, he has proclaimed that the coming year will be the “Year of Excellence”.

Participants also received a message of congratulations from Najat Mokhtar, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Deputy Director-General and Head, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, who appeared in a video link. In particular, Mokhtar lauded the excellent collaboration between FAO and IAEA including the work of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

The ceremony was followed by an entertaining talent show, showcasing a wide range of abilities ranging from melodious singing to graceful dancing.

The winners were selected via a staff-wide online poll from more than 500 nominations in two categories, “Young” and “Young at heart”.

More than 100 nationalities were represented by the 2022 awardees, who work at 95 duty stations around the world. Some 49 percent the winners hold staff contracts, while the rest are part of the affiliate work force. Less than a third work in FAO’s Rome headquarters. And a majority (almost 66 percent) are female.

The Director-General also personally endorsed 19 teams for the One FAO Team Award.

“We are only successful if we work together – that means working in teams,” Qu said. “Some of these teams are big, some are small. The size is not important. What matters are the results they achieve, and the impact they have, and the spirit of collaboration they always remember in their heads and hearts.”

See https://www.fao.org/director-general/news/news-article/en/c/1627127/