26 September 2019: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has launched the Hand-in-Hand Initiative to enable “matchmaking” between countries with the highest poverty and hunger rates and those countries most able to offer support. Targeting highly-populated, less developed countries, the initiative aims to accelerate progress on the SDGs, especially with regard to ending poverty (SDG 1) and hunger (SDG 2).

The Hand-in-Hand Initiative was launched during an event that took place on 26 September 2019, at UN Headquarters in New York, US on the margins of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The event was designed to enable discussions with governments on how to engender a more dynamic and innovative FAO and strengthen North-South partnerships and best support the least developed Landlocked Countries (LLDCs), least developed Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and countries affected by food crises.

FAO plans to do the “matchmaking” in partnership with multilateral development banks and other UN agencies. FAO will also seek opportunities at the national level for all priority countries, identify bottlenecks and investment gaps, and develop a detailed monitoring and evaluation framework “with clear targets” for 2030. [FAO Press Release]