Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Head of International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, led the UAE delegation to the 20th CGIAR System Council Meeting (SC20) 2024, which was held on 12th–13th June 2024 in Brasília, Brazil.

This marked the UAE's inaugural participation in the Council’s meetings since officially joining the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global partnership that unites international organisations engaged in research about agriculture, food security, resilience, and climate adaptation.

Mariam Almheiri mentioned that the UAE's decision to actively engage with the CGIAR System Council underscores its unwavering commitment to ensuring long-term food security for a growing global population in the face of unprecedented climate challenges.

She stated, “The UAE is a firm believer that international collaboration is key to achieving global food security. Our participation in the CGIAR System Council Meeting demonstrated our determination to support research initiatives that can help everyone adapt and transform food systems to respond to the imperatives of climate change.”

Almheiri continued, "The UAE recognises the crucial role that agricultural research plays in developing innovative solutions that empower countries to adapt to the realities of a changing climate. We are confident that our new partnership with CGIAR will yield significant advancements in agricultural productivity and resilience."

The UAE’s participation in the CGIAR System Council Meeting followed the announcement of a new partnership between the UAE and the Gates Foundation at COP28 in Dubai last year.

The partnership focuses on making joint investments in initiatives intended to accelerate the development of agricultural research and innovations which help smallholder farmers build resilience and adapt to climate change. Together, the partners made new commitments totalling US$200 million in response to immediate and long-term threats to food security and nutrition caused by climate change.

Almheiri further emphasised the importance of collaborative research, stating, "The partnership exemplifies our commitment to fostering collaborative efforts that address the challenges of climate change. By directing climate adaptation funding towards food security initiatives, we can empower smallholder farmers, particularly in vulnerable regions, to build resilience and adapt to changing weather patterns."

The CGIAR System Council, the strategic decision-making body of the CGIAR System, reviews the strategy, mission, resource allocation, impact and continued relevancy of the System as a whole.

The Council meets face-to-face twice per year to ensure that the CGIAR effectively delivers on its mission to produce research initiatives across a range of domains in the agricultural sector. In turn, this research directly contributes to achieving a food-secure future by fostering innovations and knowledge-sharing across various stakeholders.

In a related context, Almheiri attended a reception organised by the UAE Embassy in the Federative Republic of Brazil, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, in the presence of Saleh Al Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to Brazil.

She lauded the privileged and growing relations between the two countries, emphasising that this strong bond is nurtured by the steadfast support and commitment of the leadership of both nations.

Almheiri further highlighted the transformative impact of the UAE-Brazil strategic partnership, which has significantly bolstered and ushered in a new era of flourishing collaboration across all sectors.

CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. It works for a world with sustainable and resilient food, land, and water systems that deliver diverse, healthy, safe, sufficient, and affordable diets, and ensure improved livelihoods and greater social equality, within planetary and regional environmental boundaries.

Its mission is to deliver science and innovation that advance the transformation of food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.

The CGIAR, first established in 1971, is overseen by a coordinating group of donor organisations who have convened 2-3 times a year since 2016 via a governing body known as the System Council.

The 23 members of the System Council with voting authority include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Commission, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States as well as several country constituency groups (representing East Asia, South Asia, West Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America), in addition to three international organisation representatives (the African Development Bank, the World Bank and Crop Trust/IFAD) as well as the Gates Foundation.

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